Posted by DOZZA
Wow what a find, Dozza is a unique place that has made a name for itself with mural art and is next level magnificent….Plus it has an awesome original Castello in perfect condition at the end of the main street ( well at the end of the two streets that make up the whole town). The Rocca Malvezzi-Campeggi is its title but it goes by many names and is a place that needs to be seen to be believed. art is everywhere, in the streets, on the walls, in the moat and in the castello.
Even the surrounding countryside is spectacular as the town is on a small spur and has views all around, hence why the castello dominates.
The Castle keep is very Venitian and the round towers are from the 12th to 14th Centuries and are great to explore as you wind your way through the various chambers and time periods of a once living castle built over a 400 year period.
The frescos tell the stories from Medieval Gothic to Rococo and Barouque, its got it all along with plenty of modern art on display due to the mural Bianalle that started back in the 1960’s
But in reality it is the paintings that made the town what it is today and you could spend all day just wandering the streets admiring the ingeuity and style of thefamous and not so famous artists work. The Biannale del Muro di pinto happens every two years since 1960 and now has over 200 murals on display on the wals of houses and shops in the town.
This is just a small sample of what is on display and along with about 50 other paintings in the castle is it an art lovers dream.
Many paintings are in need of repair and many are in fine original form having been exposed to the elenets but the key is to use the ancient fresco techniques to keep them alive and not cut corners with new ideas.
All kinds of styles and effects with many taking advantage of doors and windows to great effect.
Simple, complex and fussy, there is something for everyone.
Stories are told in the murals with many heart wrenching images along with uplifting scenes and thought provoking tabloids.
The Festival was started by a local artist and Mayor Tornaso Siragnoli the festival took off and Tormaso hosted the artist in his celler at the end of every session and they celebrated with wine, song and paint which can now be seen all over the walls of his celler in an amazing display of frivolity dedicated to Bachus, the god of wine and good times..
CASTELLO Di VIANO
We were on our way to Castell di Viano when we stopped off at Dozza and enjoyed lunch there before heading through the countryside enjoying the views along the way.
Reaching the town of Viano took us through a more remote style of locality and then up a very rickety old track to the small castello on the hill. we really felt that we had stepped back in time even though the castello is very much upgraded in a rustic but comfortable way. The room was very spacious with the bathroom in the turret which dates back to the 10th century.
Perched on top of a big hill the panorama was spectacular and we enjoyed exploring around the castle grounds and then inside fighting off stink bugs infesting the room. But we got the little bugs out or splattered and watched the lovely sunset from the room and grounds before enjoying a fabulous meal in the resturant with the only other guests there (a young couple from Germany) who were on a gastronomic holiday.
We only had two nights here as there was very little to do locally but we explored the countryside and took a day trip to Reggio Emilia and then had a light dinner out on the terrace enjoying the views.
