Arezzo, 14 June 2024 – Branches that twist around a trunk freely inspired by the panel of the Allegory of the Immaculate Conception, the lime wood so dear to Vasari, the face of the multifaceted artist from Arezzo, the detail of the Uffizi, the symbolic Loggias of Piazza Grande, the reference, in the colors, to the ceilings of Casa Vasari… There is all this and much more in the Golden Lance dedicated, in the Vasari Year, to the painter, architect and writer from Arezzo whose 450th anniversary is celebrated years of death.
Presented this morning in the City Council room, the entry of the Golden Lance was preceded by the announcement of the Civitas Aretii Award which, scheduled among the ceremonies of the Giostresco Year, returns after three years of absence (the last edition took place in 2020) and will be delivered on Friday 21 June at 10.00 in the City Council Hall. The prestigious honour, established in 2004 in memory of Monsignor Angelo Tafi, is awarded by the Municipality of Arezzo to deserving personalities who, with their work, contribute to spreading knowledge of Arezzo beyond territorial borders.
All eyes on the Golden Lance. Work, in the hilt, by Giovanni Frangi, one of the greatest exponents of contemporary art in Italy, and by the master carver Francesco Conti, it is in the latter’s “workshop”, in via Mazzini, where all the Lances of Gold, which has brought yet another masterpiece to life that the four neighborhoods will compete for in Piazza Grande on Saturday 22 June for the 145th Giostra del Saracino.
“The dedication of this spear to Giorgio Vasari represents one of the most important elements of the Vasari year with which we celebrate our illustrious fellow citizen”, comments the mayor Alessandro Ghinelli. “A trophy – he continues – in which Vasari’s iconography is found, which shows the symbols of our city and which merges together two personalities different in experience and tradition, the artist Giovanni Frangi who created the hilt and the master Conti who he carved and decorated the entire work. Whoever wins it will win a precious treasure both for the intrinsic value of the trophy and for the meaning that the naming of this spear after Giorgio Vasari has for the city. A considerable significance that can be found in the enormous affection of the city found in the organization of the events of the Vasari year: a flourishing of initiatives by private individuals and associations who wanted to produce Vasari culture, demonstrating that the city recognizes itself in this illustrious son of its.” .
The traditional meeting for the presentation of the Golden Lance was also the opportunity for Mayor Ghinelli to reiterate the new methods of delivery of the trophy after the Prefecture’s green light for the return of the award in front of Grandstand A. “The delivery – he explains – will be made by me to the rector of the winning district on a special structure placed outside grandstand A with the recommendation, I would like to point out, that once the winning district has been announced by the herald, none of the public in stand and move until the end of the performance of the Terra d’Arezzo Hymn, only at the end of which the delivery will take place”.
A moment of celebration not to be tainted to fully enjoy the victory of such a precious trophy that the artist Giovanni Frangi, unable to participate in the presentation, still wanted to describe with a note of his own. “After my exhibition ‘The thousand lives of Showboat’ which has just concluded in Arezzo thanks to the support of Alessandro Sarteanesi and the Magonza publishing house – explained Frangi – I was happy to give my contribution to such an important event for your city as the Saracen Joust. The sculpture I created refers to the themes of my work related to nature. It is an abstract shape that takes inspiration from branches that twist around a trunk. I find that it is always important to leave your comfort zone to communicate with the outside world. It becomes a challenge: communicating with new realities is a source of stimulation for one’s creative energy.”
The Guido d’Arezzo Foundation directed by Lorenzo Cinatti: “A beautiful spear, a true work of art for the neighborhood that will win it, which bears the signature of a contemporary artist of primary importance who was deeply inspired by Vasari’s work and by what this illustrious citizen left behind city, and beyond, as a writer, painter, sculptor and architect and who we want to celebrate in this year dedicated to him”.
In conceiving the work, the artist was ideally inspired by the detail of the snake coiled around the tree in the Allegory of the Immaculate Conception, a painting by Vasari kept in the Uffizi, while in completing the work the master Francesco Conti took inspiration from the painting “The first fruits of the Earth are offered to Saturn” which is part of the frescoes in the Hall of the Elements of Palazzo Vecchio. The hilt is made of lime wood which Vasari defined in his writings as: “the best of all woods because it has equal pores and obeys the file and chisel more easily”. “In the auction – explains Maestro Conti – I wanted to bring back, inspired by Vasari’s ‘The Lives’, his self-portrait and then sculpture, architecture and painting, or rather the three arts which are daughters of drawing which he discussed in his treatise. We then find the symbols of Arezzo, the model that is in Casa Vasari, the Logge Vasari and the symbols of Florence where Vasari worked at the Court of the Medici, then the Uffizi and a glimpse of Palazzo Vecchio. At the top there are pink parts of very rare wood that recall the ceilings of Casa Vasari. Pure gold and white gold to finish the spear, we exaggerated but the importance of the figure required it”.
To allow the creation of the Lancia d’Oro for the third consecutive year, Nuova Comauto joined the “Adopt a Lancia” project: “Since Nuova Comauto arrived in Arezzo, three years ago, it has strongly wanted to link its name to that of the city’s main event – explains the marketing manager Martina Costantini – we are happy and honored to be able to do it again this year for the third consecutive year thanks to the Adopt a spear project and allow, with our contribution, the creation of such a beautiful and important trophy ”.
Nuova Comuato was not the only sponsor present this morning, the conference was also an opportunity to present the Arezzo company Seco which from this edition becomes part of the sponsors of the event. “We also welcome Seco – comments the municipal councilor delegated to the Giostra del Saracino Paolo Bertini – which has linked itself to the event allowing the creation of the new stage on which the career extraction ceremony will take place. The one that was used until 2023 was showing the signs of aging and from this edition, thanks to the contribution of this company, we have replaced it. The Giostra del Saracino has been an important and positive vehicle for years now which also attracts interest from the business world of our area and Seco represents one of the leading companies”.
Alessandro Guido for SECO: “SECO renews its bond with the city of Arezzo, associating its name with the Giostra del Saracino, symbol of unity and popular tradition, through an intervention that returns a renewed stage, in its form and scenography, for the carrying out the Career Extraction and the Captains’ Oath. SECO’s innovative nature and international perspective have always been combined with a deep bond and commitment towards its territory. A relationship that has deep roots and will soon be renewed with the construction of two new industrial complexes in the Arezzo area, giving life to a project that will be an opportunity for mutual development. SECO continues to support the future of Arezzo, consolidating a bond that unites tradition and innovation for the common good and thus enhancing the union with the city and its inhabitants.
At the end of the press conference, a ritual comment from the rectors of the four districts.
Maurizio Carboni (Porta Sant’Andrea): “I thank those who allowed the creation of the spear, the artist Frangi and the maestro Conti who surpasses himself every year with masterful works. The launch is very beautiful, but it will be even more beautiful if you manage to bring it to Via delle Gagliarde”.
Andrea Fazzuoli (Porta Crucifera): “The 2010 lance dedicated to Giorgio Vasari is in Palazzo Alberti and it would be nice to be able to place this trophy alongside it”.
Roberto Felici (Porta del Foro): “A beautiful spear, thank you for giving us this work of art”.
Giacomo Magi (Porta Santo Spirito): “First of all I would like to thank the Giostra office and the municipal administration, perhaps we take it for granted but in these days we really have the feeling that the work of the administration revolves around the Saracino and the needs of neighborhoods. As regards the lance, I must say that there are not many similarities, compared to the other neighbourhoods, between Santo Spirito and Giorgio Vasari, which is another reason to have this lance at the Bastioni from 22 June”.
