Fanano - The City of Stone Sculpture

Fanano - The City of Stone Sculpture
The advent of the holiday season can be very depressing, mainly for
the reminder that a trip to Iceland still remains a dream
Striking a balance is never easy for
those of us who enjoy Rolls Royce
tastes in landscape, but are stuck with
Morris Minor incomes.
A Mediterranean holiday to Greece or
Spain is just about affordable most
years. In both countries, the sun, sea
and good food tend to compensate for
the bleached limestone landscape but,
after a few days, there is usually a
desire to escape from the beach and
venture into the hills.
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to be introduced to Fanano, a small market town
high in the northern Italian Apennines. Travelling by road from Bologna or Modena, the
foothills of the Apennines form a gentle, undulating landscape, occasionally interrupted
by slumps and gullies where soft shales and clays are eroded by torrential rains. Almost
imperceptibly, the shales make way for sandstone until after an hour’s drive, the scale of
the scenery starts to change dramatically, with the development of steep sided valleys,
densely covered with trees.
Having spent my previous trip to Italy, luxuriating in hot, bubbling seas, with volcanic
landforms as far as the eye could see, my surroundings somehow failed to impress or
excite and, on first reaching Fanano, there was very little to suggest anything special
about the place.
I was certainly not prepared for the sight that
met me around the first corner. A large demonic
face, carved from a slab of local sandstone,
stared menacingly from the wall of a typical,
modest shuttered house. Before I could gather
my thoughts, a pair of stone lizards caught my
eye, this time clinging to the sides of the town
hall.
With my curiosity aroused, my eyes
open and a short drive to wind
another 300 metres up the road, to
get to my final destination, nothing will
match that feeling of contentment as I
sat up in a hammock, with a glass of
Lambrusco in hand.
Bakewell, in contrast, enjoyed the
cold and the rain and the onslaught of
a typical Easter weekend.
Friends in high places certainly
helped with the journey on that
occasion but, travelling independently,
Fanano can easily be reached.
Whatever mode of transport you
choose, the results of the effort are
well rewarded as I discovered on my
third visit in the space of six months.
After a 36 hour nightmare, the script
of Planes, Trains and Automobiles
could easily have been based on my
travel experience. I finally arrived in
pouring rain that had transformed the
main street into a river of yellow mud.
Cursing my lack of Italian, and with not a single soul around, my introduction to the 12 th
International Sculpture Symposium certainly started auspiciously but, after booking into
one of the good hotels, taking a quick shower and making the effort to overcome the
language barrier, my welcome exceeded all expectations as, one by one, I was
introduced by the tourism officer to the sculptors that had arrived from all over the world.
Sharing a common interest in geology, stone
and sculpture, I was immediately accepted as
an honorary participant in the symposium - as
the photographer - and I returned to England,
having made twenty new friends.
Each year the town invites a dozen or more
respected sculptors from around the world to
participate in the event. Over a period of 10-14
days, they turn slabs or blocks of the local
sandstone into finished works, in exchange for
being sumptuously wined and dined.
The best part is that the sculptures are not sold and taken away but are retained by the
town. Like pictures on a wall, friezes decorate both modern and old buildings and large
freestanding pieces and ornamental fountains occupy the many squares and parks.
The sculpture alone is a good enough reason to visit Fanano
and, with well over 150 sculptures to be discovered in the
town and neighbouring hamlets, there is enough to keep you
occupied for a few days. The symposium is held in May each
year and, although not vital, it is an added bonus to actually
see the sculptors at work with a variety of traditional and
modern tools.
The town itself has distinct similarities to Keswick or
Bakewell, with a core of traditional stone built architecture, a
busy Sunday market and a good range of shops and
facilities. Food, as to be expected in Italy, is excellent and
there is a range of restaurants, pizzerias and bars to cater
for all tastes. In July and August, there is the added
attraction of a good open air swimming pool that enjoys
views of the mountains which rise high above the town.
For the geologist, there is much to see. This part of Italy is
still tectonically very active and evidence of uplift, folding
and erosion of the thick turbidite sandstones is everywhere,
exposed by steep sided gorges. For a day out with a car,
there are mud volcanoes, caves carved into gypsum and the
badlands of the Apennines or, for a day in the city, there is
always the Museum of Palaeontology in Bologna.
To me though, one of the greatest pleasures is just to
walk in the hills. Views from the top of the mountains
above Fanano are magnificent and the nearby Mt.
Cimone, snow capped in June, is reputedly an
excellent winter ski resort. The climb to the top can be
quite stiff, but for the less seasoned walker there are
plenty of easily accessible, well marked paths through
the Chestnut wooded lower slopes.
I am reliably informed that these woods are a real treat for the botanist and I can certainly
vouch for the wild strawberries and the Porcini mushrooms that I found. If you are very
lucky, there may even be a close encounter with a family of wild boar.
It has been 3 years since I last went to Fanano but, in
the meantime, friends have been busy working with the
tourist office laying foundations for a possible study tour.
This won’t happen this year and I doubt that I will be
able to visit myself, but that certainly doesn’t stop
anyone else from experiencing the warmth and
generosity of this very special place.
If anyone is stuck for a holiday and the idea of Fanano
appeals to you, E-mail scott@glowingedges.co.uk
and I will tell you more about this place.
Scott Engering
Originally published in Down to Earth - 2000