Forty years after the death of Viagrande writer Antonio Aniante. A funeral party was held on November 6th at the Viagrande Municipal Library. Here's a look at the commemorative event organized by the Viagrande Studios art and cultural center in collaboration with the municipal administration.
La Biennial School of Writing and Storytelling Viagrande Studios paid tribute to the Viagrande writer Antonio Aniante on the fortieth anniversary of his passing. A funeral party was held at the Municipal Library. What is a funeral party, you might ask? The event consists of a commemoration that invites attendees to remember and share the beautiful legacy of the deceased, in an artistic and evocative way. Five young people, graduates of the renowned Viagrande Studios writing school (2021-23), organized the event to honor Antonio Aniante at the Viagrande Municipal Library.
A Funeral Party, is the event conceived by Viagrande Studios for Antonio Aniante
Born in Viagrande, Aniante is remembered as one of the greatest avant-garde Italian writers and playwrights of the 20th century. He began as a journalist, but achieved great success in the theater world with the Teatro degli Indipendenti in Rome, for which he wrote several avant-garde plays. Initially inspired by magical realism and futurism, he published several novels, including the 1965 Selezione Campiello Prize winner. Son of the Sun.
Led by Manuela De Quarto, director of the writing school, the young graduates retraced the key moments of the writer's life. They recalled the beauty of his best works and his evocative images. They recreated a typical funeral atmosphere with a headstone, flowers, obituaries, and candles. Then, through the author's own words and new ones, they recounted an incredible life. A young Aniante, full of promise, and an older Aniante, tired but still brilliant. The event was attended by councilors, the Deputy Mayor, and the Mayor of Viagrande.
The Municipality and Viagrande Studios, together for an important cultural event for the city
«This event, the Funeral Party, was born from the desire to create synergies between the local institutional, cultural and social realities – says the municipal councilor Alfio Grasso, who actively contributed to the organization – The commitment of the School of Writing and Storytelling of Viagrande Studios It represented an opportunity for this project, with the aim of reconnecting users with the reality of the library, with reading, and with the cultural contexts of the area."
The funeral party was attended by the Viagrande public. Those who came to the Municipal Library, dressed in black and holding a white flower in memory of the author, witnessed a moving spectacle. A moment in which Aniante's words reigned supreme.
Article by Alessandra Pandolfini, second-year student at the two-year School of Writing and Storytelling.
