The lights go out, the enchantment and magic of an evening of music and emotions remain. A concert that welcomes the next 25 years of Lombarda Marmi. Maestro Takahiro Yoshikawa 's notes punctuate a special atmosphere in a decidedly evocative space, the all-lit Cava Menga Massa in Botticino. A space where a tension made of nature (of air, of vegetation, of scents and marble of course) but also of culture (of architecture, of art, of music) is perceived.
As far back as many centuries ago, in Roman times, the stones needed to build the Capitolium, the Forum of Brescia, were quarried in this basin, and after two thousand years of use, many representative constructions of human history, the Grand Central Station in New York, the base of the Statue of Liberty, to some parts of the White House, and lastly to the base of the Winged Victory, the symbol of Brescia. Also from this place came the 110,000 tons of marble with which was built what in 1921 (exactly 100 years ago) was consecrated as the Altar of the Fatherland, an emblematic place of our Nation.
A concert that also sealed the liason with the East thanks to the presence of His Excellency the Consul General of India Mr. Anil Kumar, which was particularly welcome because it is precisely the Indian market that historically appreciates Botticino Classico® and has over the centuries developed an architectural culture that makes marble its main element. In a context in which the stone sector has been affected by the restrictions related to the pandemic, for the occasion Giovanni Merendino, CEO Lombarda Marmi, wanted to send a signal of confidence and hope inspired by Gandhi's phrase: "Be the change you want to see take place in the world," and with this idea clear in his mind he commissioned Vera Bugatti, a Brescian street artist who has a major international repertoire to her credit, to create a huge mural depicting the Mahatma to convey the important message of brotherhood and hope toward the future through her gaze, which in this particular case, dialogues not only with nature but also with those who most represent us: the quarryman. In fact, our young people are the core of Lombarda Marmi and with their work and experience they make possible the realization of great works. The mural spreads over 300 square meters painted on a marble bank ten meters high and over 30 meters long, sees Gandhi spreading a message of peace, tolerance and understanding with his penetrating and introspective gaze. The creation of this mural, in a working area that is located in a highly anthropized ecosystem and, at the same time, can fully belong to its community, because a work of art, and especially an artistic work in a quarry, has the flavor of restitution, bringing people closer to an area starting with, but not limited to, the Botticino community. The large public participation is a confirmation that goes in this direction.
We would like to thank the Authorities present: the Rotary Club Valle Sabbia, the municipal administration of Botticino - which granted Patronage to the event - and Mayor Gianbattista Quecchia.