In Venice: A Renaissance Man & His Extraordinary School
Steeped in culture and history, Venice is a world unto itself: exotic, mysterious, colorful, eccentric, multi-dimensional.
On eyeItalia’s recent visit there, we were introduced to a man who personifies those very Venetian traits, the unassuming yet amazingly talented Lorenzo de Castro.
Lorenzo is a modern-day Renaissance man. He lives in an ancient palazzo on the Grand Canal that has been in his family for generations. He loves jazz, suspense novels and cooking (he makes his own bread). He is an accomplished artist, both performance and visual. He speaks three languages. He is a gentleman and gracious host. And he is the executive director of the prestigious Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in the heart of the Cannaregio district.
The school, founded in 1969, is an internationally established center of the visual arts. Programs range from printmaking and book-binding, to painting and drawing, photography and graphic design. The school is home to visiting artists, independent residents and students from all over the world who work in a productive and stimulating environment, having daily access to the professional facilities of the scuola and the cultural inspiration of Venetian masters such as Bellini, Tintoretto, Veronese, and Titian. Lorenzo’s soft-spoken and elegant mother, Matilde Dolcetti, an incredibly talented and accomplished artist, serves as artistic director of the school.
Lorenzo loves books and has written one himself – an Italian audio book, that is: Le Straordinarie Avventure di Fulvio Bianchi: Una Pecorella Smarrita a Venezia (translated: The Extraordinary Adventures of Fulvia Bianchi: A Little Lost Sheep in Venice). The audio book is available free of charge at www.libroaudio.it. Lorenzo only asks for listeners to donate to one of several charities listed on the site, all of which aid children in need all over the world. The various characters’voices in the story are all delightfully played by de Castro and his young daughter. This fanciful tale is charming and funny, worthy of a screen version by Dreamworks.
We’re excited to announce that in the future, eyeItalia will feature and represent works of art that emerge from the students, faculty and visiting artists of the Scuola Internazionale de Grafica. Stay tuned.
Grazie tanti a Lorenzo de Castro!