Category Archives: Compositions

FTEM #3: The White River and the Bellafreddi Trail

Compositions

Here is another point of interest for the First Maremme Cross-Border Hiking Festival, in Rocchette di Fazio, Southern Tuscany (June 14-15 2025). The huge, quasi albino, limestone boulders, which many geological eras ago once were at the bottom of an ocean, today are skteching the awesome canyons, caves and gorges characterizing the course of the upper Albegna valley. The “white river” was an important communication route in Etruscan times, and -across the centuries- it reinforced its role as a setting for trades, such as for salt, which from the saltworks in Orbetello reached the inland of Maremma.

Bellafreddi was a templar knight who used to cross the white river to reach his loved one on the other bank, and his trail can be followed by today’s intrepid hikers from the village of Rocchette di Fazio to the river gorges.

For more information on the festival:

The festival comes from an idea by Irene Pellegrini –travel and migration sociologist, hiking guide, and writer- who also acts as the festival director. The event is supported by municipality of Semproniano, the social promotion association La Piazzoletta, Sentieri Liberi – Murci and by the pibinko.org network.

Photo credits: Sentieri Liberi Murci

Per altre informazioni sul festival:

Il FTEM nasce da un’idea di Irene Pellegrini –sociologa del viaggio e della migrazione, guida escursionistica e scrittrice- che ne cura anche la direzione, ed è sostenuto dal Comune di Semproniano, dall’associazione di promozione sociale La Piazzoletta, da Sentieri Liberi – Murci e dalla rete pibinko.org.

Foto: Sentieri Liberi – Murci

FTEM #2 – The Guests: Damiano Fabbri (Associazione Promozione Sociale Freedom)

Compositions

Following the brief presentation of the Santa Cristina Parish Church, where the talks and presentations of the First Maremme Cross-Border Hiking Festival, will be held, let us introduce one of the guests.

Damiano Fabbri is the founder of the Freedom cultural association. He is one of the creators of the Cammino dei tre villaggi, the shortest trail in Italy, uniting in a 20-km hike the villages of San Giovanni in Tuscia, Barbarano Romano e Blera. Another one of Damiano’s ideas is the land to sea hike from San Giovanni in Tuscia to the Civitavecchia harbor. For the two books A piedi nel far west e 111 luoghi delle maremme che devi proprio scoprire, Damiano has been a very important guide in relation to bottom-up hiking and the world of transhumance.

For more information on the festival:

The festival comes from an idea by Irene Pellegrini –travel and migration sociologist, hiking guide, and writer- who also acts as the festival director. The event is supported by municipality of Semproniano, the social promotion association La Piazzoletta, Sentieri Liberi – Murci and by the pibinko.org network.

Photo credits: Damiano Fabbri

FTEM #1 The Santa Cristina Parish Church in Rocchette di Fazio (Southern Tuscany)

Compositions

As we approach the Avvicinandosi al primo Festival Transfrontaliero dell’Escursionismo nelle Maremme (June 14-15 in Rocchette di Fazio, Southern Tuscany) we have realized that this is a first edition of something happening in a place which very few people know. For this reason we decided to provide you with some introductory articles about the places and the guests featured in the Festival.

The starting point is the Santa Cristina Parish Churh. This is the venue which will hosts presentations and talks during the event. The church is now deconsacrated. It was built during the 13th centuring next to the fortress, overseeing the valley of the Albegna river.

A legend says that close to the church a templar knight was buried, an in fact the templar order had in Rocchette di Fazio one of its strongholds.

For more information on the festival:

The festival comes from an idea by Irene Pellegrini –travel and migration sociologist, hiking guide, and writer- who also acts as the festival director. The event is supported by municipality of Semproniano, the social promotion association La Piazzoletta, Sentieri Liberi – Murci and by the pibinko.org network.

Photo credit: Sentieri Liberi – Murci

ASBUC Tatti meets Social Sciences and Humanities

Compositions

A few days ago ASBUC (Amministrazione Separata Beni e Usi Civici) in Tatti (Southern Tuscany) had a visit by Riccardo Franchini, a PhD student in “Social Sciences and Humanities” at the University of Siena.

The event was an opportunity for ASBUC to present both historical aspects and current developments in the small community in the Massa Marittima area, and to share more food for thought that Riccardo may elaborate during his research. The common intent is to remain in contact during the upcoming phases of Riccardo’s work and to assess options for more exchanges and collaborations.

In the header picture: Sergio Cappelletti, Auro Luti and Adriano Fronzaroli with Riccardo Franchini. Below, some of the maps in the ASBUC premises.

For more information: micalosapevo@pibinko.org or +393317539228

The JBCM goes in Documentary Mode with Susan Gluth

Compositions

Today (May 9) with the Jug Band Colline Metallifere we have been in the psychedelic Tattistampa headquarters for an afternoon of shooting with Susan Gluth, a German film maker. Some interviews and some soundtrack for a project which will be completed towards the end of the year…for the moment we prefer not to disclose more information, but we invite you to stay tuned. For more information and booking: micalosapevo@pibinko.org or +393317539228.

The Ancient Game of Palla Eh! meets the Canary Islands in Gavorrano (Southern Tuscany)

Compositions
Some of the teachers from the Gavorrano school with the palla mentors and the ball.

In the context of an Erasmus+ student exchange project between the Istituto Comprensivo di Gavorrano in Southern Tuscany, and the Valleseco institute from Gran Canaria, on April 3 there was an educationa afternoon on the ancient game of palla Eh! or palla a 21. This followed a first event on February 7, where the Italian students were taught the basics on the game. In this second meeting, the notions were relayed to the Spanish students, and some demonstration games were held. The mentors were represented by a selection of players from Associazione Palla eh! from Vetulonia and Andrea Giacomelli from the pibinko.org network in relation to historical, geographical, and social aspects of the game.

The school gym was not the typical setting for the game (see some shots below, together with this report, which was also proposed to the students) as it is seen in the Summer tournaments in Tirli, Scalvaia, Ciciano, Piloni, Torniella e Vetulonia. However it was very important and interesting to “export” the game in locations where it is not known, hoping that this might lead more people to approach the game.

These two meetings follow a line of outreach about the game with a track record of almost 20 years, and previous experiences in Chicago, Verona, Mantova, Suvereto, Civitella-Paganico, Milano, Sassofortino, etc.

After the Gavorrano experience, we will now be waiting for the summer tournaments in the Tuscan hamlets, with activities starting at the end of June.

For more information about the game of in the pibinko.org network: https://www.pibinko.org/palla-a-21-or-palla-eh/ , micalosapevo@pibinko.org or +393317539228.

Momenti dai tornei estivi di palla degli anni passati

Waiting for the Stars in Torniella feat. Giulia Damico – How did it go?

Compositions

[TO BE TRANSLATED]

Piacevole serata alla piazza della Cisterna di Torniella, frazione di Roccastrada (GR). Dopo i saluti di rito della Pro Loco Piloni-Torniella, promotrice dell’evento, si è susseguito un intreccio insolito di brani musicali di Giulia Damico, raffinata cantautrice e jazzista torinese che ha proposto parte della sua produzione in chiave elettronica e voce, letture di brani originali di Anna Pacchierotti della Biblioteca Paesana di Torniella, e rime sulla palla a 21 e sulla Val di Farma di Andrea Giacomelli. In chiusura di serata, momento di divulgazione scientifica con il progetto della BuioMetria Partecipativa e misure di qualità del cielo notturno dimostrative in cui il pubblico anziché provare a indovinare “quanto è alto il prosciutto” ha fatto le sue stime su quanto potesse essere la luminosità del cielo notturno sopra la piazza.

Link di approfondimento:

Per altre informazioni: micalosapevo@pibinko.org o 3317539228