SIDE EVENTS
THE SCHOOL OF FORGING – ARTS AND CRAFTS WORKSHOP
The School of Forging Arts and crafts workshop The first blacksmithing courses began in the 1970s, organized as a sort of workshop experience in which aspiring iron craftsmen learned how to handle traditional tools. These courses did not have a well-defined program, and the locations where the lessons were held varied greatly. Audio – The School of Forging ⏮ ▶ ⏭ 0:00 / 0:00 🔊 Scarica This way of working continued in the following decades, supported by volunteers from the Association who repeatedly dreamed of creating a place in Casentino dedicated to teaching craftsmanship, with a permanent home for the Blacksmithing School. An important turning point came in 2014 when entrepreneur Mario Magni made his premises in Porrena available. For five years, these premises hosted blacksmithing courses until, in 2019, the Municipality of Pratovecchio Stia won a tender from the Region of Tuscany for the creation of an “Arts and Crafts Laboratory” where the Blacksmithing School would find its permanent home. which was created by renovating an old railway building located near Stia Station. The Association, aware of the need to provide training course participants with specific and comprehensive training, combining the learning of traditional techniques with an openness to the evolution and innovation requirements of modern art, has established a training program structured in courses of different levels, ranging from those aimed at providing basic technical training to advanced courses for blacksmiths who already have a comprehensive educational background. The “Laboratorio di Arti e Mestieri” (Arts and Crafts Workshop), which houses the school and is equipped with 10 forges and all the necessary equipment, is a place for the transmission of knowledge, traditions, and professionalism, also aimed at offering interesting employment opportunities to young people through the learning of an ancient craft that is capable of evolving according to the needs and tastes of the contemporary world. The creation of the Arts and Crafts Workshop also marked the completion of a fundamental process that led to the recognition, within the Regional Register of Professional Figures of the Region of Tuscany, of the professional figure of Design Technician, creation, and production of metal objects, including through forging. This will allow students to receive a Certificate of Attendance from the Forging School recognized by the Region of Tuscany. The new Stia Forging School (arts and crafts workshop)
WORLD FORGING CHAMPIONSHIP
World Forging Championship The world forging championship is the most popular event at the biennial fair, attracting thousands of visitors and over 200 blacksmiths each year. Audio – World Forging Championship ⏮ ▶ ⏭ 0:00 / 0:00 🔊 Scarica The current format of the event represents the evolution of the extemporaneous forging competition, held for the first time in 1981 on the occasion of the 4th wrought iron craft fair. Back then, it consisted of creating a work on a free theme in the presence of the public. The present championship, instead, takes place according to precise rules set by the Biennale association, which establish, among other things, a specific theme for each year. For this edition, the theme is “MYTHS AND MAGIC.” The theme to be followed is announced to potential participants well in advance, usually in June, through social media and the Biennale’s website, so that blacksmiths can carry out all the necessary preliminary operations: conception, sketch design, study of materials, and adaptation of the project to the time available. According to the regulations, each participant has a maximum of three hours for the forging test, and the work must be created entirely on the spot, without the use of any pre-fabricated parts. The object must, of course, be made of iron, forged using traditional techniques, that is, without the aid of machinery. However, small parts in other materials may be included (glass, crystal, or metals other than iron have generally been used). The competition takes place in Piazza Mazzini in Stia, where 12 workstations are set up, each equipped with its own forge, work tools, and various bars of different types of iron. Artisans may use the tools provided but also their own, since the creation of personal tools is one of the distinctive features of the blacksmith’s craft. Each workstation is overseen by a supervisor who, during the process, ensures compliance with the regulations. The competition is structured in two categories: individual and team. In the team test, a group may consist of up to four blacksmiths who work simultaneously on the same piece; the individual test, instead, involves a single blacksmith, who may nevertheless be assisted by a “helper.” The helper’s sole task is to support the smith in the basic hammering operation, following the rhythm, without intervening in any of the other operations or decisions that determine the outcome of the work. In the individual competition, the winners were: 001 Yoav Berger (Israele) – Circle of life 002 Roman Kost (Ucraina) – Connection of differences 003 Martin Holl (Germania) – Together Nella gara a squadre i vincitori sono stati: 001 Gruppo Germania 3 (Cartsens, Dirr, Upmann, Ludwing) – Puzzle 002 Gruppo Repubblica Ceca (Lubos, Tulis, Kucera, Soulup) – Memory of Santini 1723-2023 003 Gruppo International 1 (Chemin, Murphy, Rigolot, Sobieski) – Neuronal Connection
INTERNATIONAL SCULPTURE COMPETITION
INTERNATIONAL SCULPTURE COMPETITION SCULPTURE TRAIL IN PIAZZA TANUCCI The competition began in 2017 and has now reached its fifth edition. It was created with the aim of enhancing the beautiful Piazza Tanucci (known as the “living room of Casentino”) while also enriching the Biennale with an initiative of great artistic value, which finds in the square an ideal setting. Audio – INTERNATIONAL SCULPTURE COMPETITION ⏮ ▶ ⏭ 0:00 / 0:00 🔊 Scarica For all editions A theme is chosen for the competition by the organizing committee, under the patronage of the Casentino National Forest Park, and communicated well in advance to potential artisans and artists via the Biennale’s official website and various social media channels. The theme chosen for this 26th edition is “MAGICA…MENTE” (MAGICALLY). According to the rules, the works in competition must be original projects and are evaluated by a special international jury composed of master blacksmiths, architects, and/or designers, under the supervision and certification of a notary. The top three qualifiers are awarded prizes, and the winning works remain with the Biennale association, destined to be used as street furniture in various areas of the town. According to the rules, the works must be made of metal (not necessarily iron), but other materials are also allowed up to a maximum of 20% of the structure. The theme of the last edition was “LIGHTNESS.” 001 Roman Kost (Ucraina) – Paper Plane 002 Richard Rulf (Rep. Ceca) – The Unbearable lightness of ring 003 Stefano Fagioli e Andrea Gianpreti (Italia) – Equilibrio
Drawing contest
Drawing contest Among the various initiatives within the biennial, the “Pier Luigi della Bordella International Design and Drawing Competition” was also established, which sees young artists/designers/architects engaged in the graphic design of iron objects that can then be made by skilled craftsmen and be functional to the urban decor of the municipality of Pratovecchio Stia. The theme chosen for the last edition was “Selfie frames” to be placed within the municipal area, designed to accommodate the faces of two people with a landscape, building, or work of art in the background. Audio – Drawing contest ⏮ ▶ ⏭ 0:00 / 0:00 🔊 Scarica The Theme For this year’s edition, the theme is “Gate of the Forging School – S.T.I.A Academy”, to be placed at the entrance of the outdoor green area of the School Training Iron & Arts in Pratovecchio Stia. Participants are required to develop a design concept, which will then serve as the basis for the executive and finally the production phase. When designing the gate, inspiration must be drawn from the tradition of artistic wrought ironwork, with particular attention to functionality and harmonious integration into the architectural context. The proposal should highlight manual forging techniques, showcasing original decorative elements and structural solutions suitable for the intended use. The main novelty compared to past editions is that the competition will no longer take place in person during the days of the event, as in previous years, but will be held entirely online. This year, the deadline for submitting projects was August 22, 2025. Some works created based on the winning sketches from previous editions:
Iron Museum
Iron Museum The first nucleus of the iron museum was set up in 2015, occupying only part of the hall of the old wool mill that houses it. It was then expanded and reorganized in 2021, resulting in its current form. It represents a sample and testimony of the rich heritage produced over the years by the blacksmiths who took part in the various editions of the iron “Biennale,” participating in forging competitions, the salient stages of which are chronologically retraced by the museum. The room in which the various works are exhibited, to be visited starting from the left, begins with a work from 1981 (the oldest) entitled ‘Il vecchio e il bastone’ (The Old Man and the Stick), followed by those from 1995 and 1997, created at a time when the competition still took the form of an ‘impromptu forging test’, which then became the “world forging championship” in 2001. The various “pieces” in the museum, displayed on wooden stands arranged in chronological order, are accompanied by captions providing information on the name of the author or authors (in the case of works created by a team), their country of origin, the title of the work, the year of creation, the theme assigned for the competition, and the position achieved in the podium of winning works. The first nucleus of the iron museum was set up in 2015, occupying only part of the hall of the old wool mill that houses it. It was then expanded and reorganized in 2021, resulting in its current form. It represents a sample and testimony of the rich heritage produced over the years by the blacksmiths who took part in the various editions of the iron “Biennale,” participating in forging competitions, the salient stages of which are chronologically retraced by the museum. The room in which the various works are exhibited, to be visited starting from the left, begins with a work from 1981 (the oldest) entitled ‘Il vecchio e il bastone’ (The Old Man and the Stick), followed by those from 1995 and 1997, created at a time when the competition still took the form of an ‘impromptu forging test’, which then became the “world forging championship” in 2001. The various “pieces” in the museum, displayed on wooden stands arranged in chronological order, are accompanied by captions providing information on the name of the author or authors (in the case of works created by a team), their country of origin, the title of the work, the year of creation, the theme assigned for the competition, and the position achieved in the podium of winning works. In addition to the winning works from the various editions, the room also houses a number of works considered by master blacksmiths or experts in the field to be worthy of special mention. It also houses a number of sculptures that won the sculpture competition but are not suitable for outdoor display due to their structural characteristics. Audio – Iron Museum ⏮ ▶ ⏭ 0:00 / 0:00 🔊 Scarica
LANIFICIO SPAZIO VUOTO – INCUBATOR OF IDEAS
LANIFICIO SPAZIO VUOTO – INCUBATOR OF IDEAS The first steps that led to the current event known as the “International Iron Biennial” were taken in 1976 on the initiative of Pier Luigi Della Bordella, the Arezzo antique dealer Ivan Bruschi, and the then mayor of Stia, Vittoriano Frulloni. An exhibition and market of wrought iron handicrafts was organized and set up in Piazza Tanucci in Stia. The first two editions took place annually and then, immediately afterwards, biennially, given the organizational and economic commitment that became evident. Through Time The event was enriched with many other side initiatives, open to international participation, revised in its structure and finally also hosted in a new location inside the vaulted hall of the historic wool mill in Stia, taking the name of “Lanificio-spazio vuoto incubatore di idee” (Wool Mill-empty space incubator of ideas). It is an invitation and opportunity for blacksmiths from all over the world to express their creativity through the art of forging, finding within the exhibition a privileged showcase, a meeting point, a place for discussion and visibility to a wide and varied audience, including external experts and stakeholders. Participation is open to all artists, professionals, artisans, or enthusiasts of blacksmithing, who can join by submitting either finished works and objects or sketches and projects that express originality, creativity, and innovation. Audio – Lanificio Spazio Vuoto – Incubator of Ideas ⏮ ▶ ⏭ 0:00 / 0:00 🔊 Scarica For this year’s edition (2025) Participants must submit works consisting of “complements, accessories, interior and exterior furnishings.” The partners of the European project “Iron Notes” participate with works representative of their cultural heritage, i.e., linked to the traditions of their country. edizione 2023 Special mention for “Lanificio Spazio Vuoto – Incubatore di idee” edizione 2023 001 Niko Giordani (Italia) – Congiunzioni 002 Martino Stenico (Italia) – Dressage 003 Erel Shlomo (Israele) – Eschatology the connection of the religion