Castelsardo continues to establish itself as a city that lives and breathes culture. After a busy summer, which saw the historic center enlivened by literary festivals, schools of literary criticism, ancient history, and creative writing for film, pop and classical music concerts, jazz festivals such as Musica sulle Bocche, contemporary art exhibitions featuring some of the most significant names in the Sardinian artistic scene, and a prestigious Summer School of advanced philosophy with nationally and internationally renowned academics, the municipal administration led by Mayor Maria Lucia Tirotto, through the Department of Culture, is proposing "Incontri di Settembre," a series of events that bring together literature, music, history, and local traditions, highlighting Castelsardo's memory and identity.
The first event will be at 6:30 pm today, when Tempio Pausania writer Francesco Cossu will present "Midiana: The Hell of the Good." The author will converse with young city councilor Alessandro Pinna, accompanied by music by Luca Venusti, which will serve as a counterpoint to the narrative's insights and themes. The evening of Sunday the 14th will be particularly heartfelt for the community, dedicated to Professor Piero Fattaccio and his "Cu' l'óccji di l'altri." Here, history is revealed in a new light: Fattaccio debunks, through logical reflections supported by documentary evidence, some of the criticisms leveled over the centuries at Castelsardo and the character of its inhabitants. The meeting will be enriched by contributions from Maria Vittoria Casu, Eugenio Cossu, Maria Speranza Frassetto, Luisella Pisottu, and Giuseppe Tirotto, and by musical interludes from singer-songwriter Franco Sechi. The event, organized by the Circolo Sardo Nofrontiere and Edizioni ZardinuGalanu, will take place in collaboration with the Municipality of Castelsardo and the Il Labirinto bookshop.
This year, too, the magic of "Poetry and Music under the Fortress" will be present, a project created a few years ago by poets Giuseppe Tirotto and Raffaele Ciminelli . At 6:30 PM on Tuesday the 16th, the poets' verses and the music of the "Mauro Savigni Duo" will blend in an original setting dominated by the Doria Fortress, transforming Piazza del Novecentenario into a moving and evocative stage. There is great anticipation for the day of September 20th, at 4 PM, dedicated to the memory of Eleonora d'Arborea, a historical figure deeply connected to the community of Castelsardo. At 6 PM, the procession will head to the Doria Castle, where a cultural event dedicated to "Eleonora: Politics, Power, and the History of a Medieval Judikessa" will be held, with presentations by university professors and researchers, musical performances for soprano and piano, and theatrical performances by a professional actress who will give voice to the commemorated characters. The event is a collaboration between the Castelsardo Municipal Department of Culture and the La Casa Rosa association, chaired by Maristella Casula, coordinator of the 10th Musical, Literary, and Historical Itineraries of Identity Festival. On Tuesday the 23rd, in Piazza Pianedda, in collaboration with the Mondadori bookshop, the book "Otto storie, tre voci," a collection of short stories by Antoni Arca, Ruggero Roggio, and Giuseppe Tirotto, will be presented.
The festival will conclude on Sunday the 30th with a double event : it will begin with Vittorio Gazale's book "In the Interest of the State: Asinara Island between the National Park, the Red Brigades, and the Cosa Nostra." Gazale will be in conversation with Eugenio Cossu, former mayor of Porto Torres and first President of the Asinara National Park; Franco Cuccureddu, regional councilor for tourism; Gianluca Mureddu, president of the Asinara National Park; Fabio Isman, journalist and writer; and Luciano Tancredi, editor of La Nuova. The second part of the event will be dedicated to the concert "Songs from the Supercarcere" by Daniela Cossiga, Matteo Anelli, Gabriele Cau, and Danilo Mura. This musical project is inspired by the island of Asinara, the result of research into songs that have an emotional connection to the place, creating an intense and engaging atmosphere in keeping with the theme of the evening.
