FROM 4 TO 6 SEPTEMBER, THREE DAYS OF IRON, ART AND CONTEMPORARY ART: THE PROGRAM

Fifty years of fire, iron, creativity, and community. From September 4 to 6, 2026, Stia celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the European Biennial of Blacksmith Art , the event that since 1976 has linked the Casentino village to the art of forging, making it over the years a hub and meeting place for blacksmiths, artists, and enthusiasts from around the world.

For three days, the historic center will be animated by live blacksmithing, meetings, contemporary art, workshops, music, and widespread initiatives , in a program that looks to the history of the Biennale but also to its future.

The celebrations will open on Friday, September 4th in Piazza Tanucci with the official 50th anniversary ceremony at 10:30 a.m. From the morning, in Piazza Mazzini, it will be possible to watch the blacksmiths at work creating the new entrance gate to the STIA Academy green area , developed from the winning project of the 10th International Design and Planning Competition “Pier Luigi della Bordella” for the 2025 Biennale. In the afternoon, at the Teatro Comunale, the conference “50 Years of Fire… Between Hammer and Anvil” will retrace half a century of the event’s history, with the participation of historic blacksmiths who have participated in past editions of the Biennale, while the evening will be dedicated to music.

In addition to the scheduled workshops, “Open Forges” will take place on Friday, September 4th and Saturday, September 5th: six forges will be made available to blacksmiths, who can work individually or in groups and create live works and objects inspired by the fiftieth anniversary of the Biennale. The resulting works will be exhibited in a dedicated area during the event.

The most anticipated moment will be Saturday, September 5th , when wrought iron will meet one of the absolute protagonists of Italian contemporary art. At 5 pm, the Teatro Comunale will host the presentation of the meeting between the Pistoletto Cittadellarte Foundation and the European Biennial of Blacksmith Art of Stia . The event will illustrate the genesis of the work created by master blacksmiths dedicated to and inspired by Michelangelo Pistoletto’s “Third Paradise,” with presentations by Paolo Naldini, Director of the Pistoletto Cittadellarte Foundation, Armona Pistoletto, and curators Loris Innocenti and Tommaso Venco of Hexisart . Afterwards, at the Parco delle Terme del Palagio Fiorentino , the work will be officially inaugurated, becoming part of the permanent collection of the Municipality of Pratovecchio Stia and the art trail spread throughout the area.

Also on Saturday, the Teatro Comunale will host a morning meeting dedicated to Europe, territory, and culture . This meeting will also highlight the international project in which Stia is a partner, “Iron Notes,” co-financed by the European Union under the Creative Europe program. The meeting is organized in collaboration with the Europe Direct Center of the University of Siena and Bottega del Cittadino Europeo. Participants will include Professor Massimiliano Montini, Scientific Director of Europe Direct and the Rector’s Delegate for European Citizenship, and Dr. Angelita Campriani, Administrative Director and Europe Direct Manager.

Piazza Mazzini will continue to be the heart of live blacksmithing with the creation of the gate for the Stia school. There will also be space for the younger generations with free blacksmithing workshops for children aged 6 to 12 , led by Daphne Kooistra. The day will conclude in Piazza Tanucci with the 50th Anniversary Celebration , a musical aperitif with paid admission.

On Sunday, September 6, the Biennale will further expand its focus to the local area. Among the main events are the donation to the Parish of Stia of a cross created by Užventis MENE, Lithuania , and the inauguration of the new traveling Art Trail throughout the country , designed to bring the works beyond traditional exhibition spaces and strengthen the dialogue between art, iron, and the urban landscape.

At 11.30 in Piazza Tanucci the closing ceremony will also be an opportunity to look forward, with the presentation of the XXVII European Biennial of Blacksmith Art 2027 .

Throughout the weekend it will also be possible to visit the Wrought Iron Museum at the Lanificio di Stia for free, while the Gastronomic Village and the Biennale InfoPoint will be open in the town centre .

The fiftieth anniversary of the European Biennial of Blacksmith Art in Stia is organised by the Biennial of Blacksmith Art Association and the Municipality of Pratovecchio Stia , in collaboration with the Tuscany Region, the Casentinesi Forests, Monte Falterona and Campigna National Park, the Arezzo-Siena Chamber of Commerce and BCC Banca di Anghiari e Stia, with the patronage of the Province of Arezzo, Confartigianato Imprese Arezzo, and CNA Arezzo.

The event is also held thanks to the support of Freschi & Vangelisti Srl, I Tre Magi, Miniconf SpA, Polistamp , TACS, Eco Trade, Unicoop Firenze.