“Guardando le stelle” (gazing at the stars), a Cultural Association in Tuscany and editor in Florence, has recently changed its name to: “…e con il cileo stellato sopra di noi…(and with the starry sky above us) editore con scrittoio in Firenze. The association is comprised of: lawyer Romano Fantappiè, honorary president, Mr. Massimo Scalabrino, coordinator, and Mr. Mario Cirio, administrative consultant.
A first edition of the European Narrative Competition created and organized by “Guardando le stelle” (http://www.guardandolestelle.it) with the title: “… from Montecatini Terme to Europe … with the starry sky above us”, and the theme of “ Happiness”, was concluded on November 15th, 2003. The theme was addressed to European people over the age of fifty.
The competition received the support of the President of the Republic of Italy, of Viviane Reding, the European Commissioner of Culture, of the University of Florence, of the European Confederation of Retired People of the region of Tuscany, by the community of Montecatini Terme, of the hotel industry association in Montecatini, of the bank: “Credito Cooperativo” of Val di Nievole, and of the Association for the Promotion of Tourism (A.P.T.) in Montecatini. The Jury, which met at Accademia dei Georgofili in Florence, was comprised of Prof. Franco Scaramuzzi, president, On. Silvia Costa, chairwoman, and European languages teachers from the University of Florence. Seven people were awarded a prize: an Austrian woman, a Dutchwoman, a Portuguese woman, a French man and three Italian women.
The second edition of the European Narrative Competition was born around the idea of helping the European people familiarize with “Tuscany’s garden”, the eleven townships that form Val di Nievole and their cultural, touristic and economic value, for example, the famous Montecatini Spa, the paper and floriculture industries, etc . The goal of the second edition of our Competition was to obtain a definition, not through the writing of essays or philosophical reflection, but rather through imagination of fiction, of freedom in Europe for the European people.
The title of the second edition was: “… from Val di Nievole… to Europe.. with a starry sky above us”. The theme “Freedom: to play, to believe, to love, to live…in peace” invited all women and men that live, work, study in the new Europe to tell in a narrative form what, for them, is the significance of freedom.
In the meetings held at Bank, Credito Cooperativo della Val di Nievole, and with the mayors of Val di Nievole, we requested the sponsorship of the eleven Communities and a free contribution to be used for the organization of the project.
The eleven mayors of the Communities of the Val di Nievole will form the jury, together with a technical jury formed by teachers/experts in European languages. The young and extraordinary composer Andrea Lucchesini was the president of the jury. Who can better than he can interpret the only language spoken and understood in every part of the world: music! Prizes were not monetary, (freedom doesn’t depend on money) but consisted in works of art and a few days stay in the Val di Nievole.
The second edition of the European Narrative Competition, for the proposed theme: “Freedom: to play, to believe, to love, to live…in peace” received the High Recognition of the Presidente della Repubblica Italiana, with the conferring of a plaque and silver medallion. As well, it received the Patronage of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Sponsorships from the Eleven Communities of the Val di Nievole, the Conference of Mayors of the Val di Nievole, the European Federation of the UNESCO clubs, the UNESCO center in Florence, the Regione Toscana, the Provincia di Pistoia, the Chamber of Commerce CCIAA of Pistoia, the Association of American Colleges and University Programs in Italy, the Order of Journalists of Tuscany, APIA Assindustria of Montecatini, the A.p.T (Association for Tourism) of Montecatini-Val di Nievole, ENIT (the National Board of Tourism) and the Accademia della Crusca (the oldest European Academy of linguistic studies).
Florence, July 2005
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