The Ovo Pinto museum is located in Civitella del Lago, a charming medieval town perfectly preserved. Walking inside the castle walls, between narrow streets and elegant Renaissance palaces, where car access is prevented by the morphology of the place, the atmosphere is timeless .
The good location, on top of a hill, gives visitors breathtaking views over the Tiber River and Corbara Lake, and the eye can range, on clear days, up to the mountains of Lazio and Tuscany .
But not only the charm of the intact old town and the beautiful scenery are the gems that adorn Civitella, inside houses a unique museum : the Ovo Pinto Museum.
It all started with the intention not to squander the wealth of the old traditions. Eggs have always had a value, both symbolic and economic, in the countryside. They were used to make purchases, through bartering , until less than a hundred years ago, and they were, of course, and still are, a symbol of life and rebirth. During the Easter period women used to color them with herbs and natural substances, to bring them to the blessing of Good Friday, and to be eaten for the traditional Easter breakfast.
I also discover with surprise that, a long time ago, eggs were also used for simple games by the kids.
So started the idea of an egg painting competition between the schools, then open to all, which has been and continues to be a huge success, thanks to the economic sacrifice and work of all the volunteers. The competition allowed to collect a huge amount of material, so as to give life, in 2005, at the Museum .
Eggs of all sizes , from the pigeon to those of ostrich, all absolutely natural, decorated with different techniques and imaginative (there are also mosaics formed from shredded egg shells). The issues addressed in the works are innumerable and touching, so as to give rise in some cases to realizations of strong emotional impact. In the museum are placed works of artists and amateurs, big and small, and from all over the world. The material is too much to find a place in the showcases of the museum, in fact, the works are replaced periodically, so as to give life to changing exhibitions .
See you in the days between the Easter weekend and the May, 1st , with the competition, exhibition and many cultural events that liven up the cultural offerings of Civitella .
by Benedetta Tintillini
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I think this article could be interesting, too: http://benedettatintillini.wordpress.com/2014/03/06/hidden-great-beauty-of-italy-the-ceramics-of-deruta2/… thank you!