All the winners of the 26th edition and the dates of the next edition

The 26th European Biennale of Blacksmithing Art in Stia closed with a record-breaking edition, which saw over 250 blacksmiths compete in the World Forging Championship and thousands of visitors bring the Casentino village to life.

The title of World Champion of the 12th Forging Championship, dedicated this year to the theme “Myths and Magic,” was awarded to Italian blacksmith Giampaolo Maniero for his piece “La Sciabolata di Perseo,” celebrated in a packed Piazza Tanucci. Second place went to Isacco Szathvary with “Knock knock knocking at the wizard’s door,” while third place was awarded to Stefano Fagioli with “Sambuco (albus silente).” In the team category, the Czech Republic dominated the competition: first prize went to Rulf, Trpisovsky, Havranek, and Tomasek with “When the light ends, the trade begins”; second prize to Ruth, Jungr, Rosecky, and Wasserbauer with “The birth of Venus”; and third prize to Lubos, Hartinkov, and Frantisek with “Oracolo.”

The jury, chaired by architect Pietro Carlo Pellegrini, also awarded prizes in the other competitions. In the 5th International Sculpture Competition, themed “Magica-mente,” first place went to German artist Matthias Kuehn with “Lumen Mentis,” followed by Ukrainian artist Roman Kost with “The living” and Italian Davide Caprili with “L’angelo che è in te.” In the 11th “Pier Luigi della Bordella” Design and Drawing Competition, which invited participants to design the gate for the Stia School of Blacksmithing Art, first prize was awarded to Leonardo Innocenti with “Onda anomala,” second to Jonas Biggeri with “Il testimone,” and third to Belgian artist Dirk Van Esser with “Bound by fire.”

Three special mentions were also given for works exhibited in the “Lanificio Spazio Vuoto_Incubatore di Idee” space: Martino Stenico with “Panca tonda,” Roberto Magni with “Infinto,” and Rosario Maglione with “Coffee break.”

For the first time, the special “Pietro Annigoni” Prize, awarded by the Banca di Anghiari e Stia and dedicated to the youngest competing blacksmith, went to Czech participant Tomas Usijka, born in 2008.

During the closing ceremony, the Mayor of Pratovecchio Stia, Luca Santini, announced a special event in 2026 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Biennale, while the president of the Independent Association of Blacksmithing Art, Maria Gemma Bendoni, confirmed the dates of the next edition: from September 2 to 5, 2027.

Photo by Leonardo Gori