Italian Poetry Competition Celebrates Innovation and Talent in Verona
Thirst for Poetry. In the homeland of fine wine, the exquisite nectar was set aside for a few hours. On Saturday morning, the main event was the National Poetry Competition “Grappolo d’Oro”, held in a crowded council chamber filled with authorities and “sellers” of dreams, thoughts, and love lyrics. The event, marvelously organized by the Municipal Administration, attracted significant interest with the arrival of 240 poems from different regions of Italy.
An achievement that rewards the work of Romano Brusco, councilor delegated to culture, and Carlo Rigoni, secretary and coordinator of the competition, the true deus ex machina of the entire event. In a single effort, the tireless Rigoni managed the not-so-easy task of bringing the prefect Francesco Giovannucci and the chief prosecutor Guido Papalia to the lakeside, perhaps more comfortable with legal documents, laws, or investigations than with psychological introspections, clues, and the search for the soul’s happiness.
Interventions and Judgments
As a good host, the representative of the State did not fail to praise the beauty of the venue and to underline the sensitivity of the Municipal Administration in promoting culture. More straightforward and direct, Papalia commented: “Rigoni is a provocateur because he forces us to participate in these meetings.” Apart from the joke, the chief prosecutor emphasized the power of poetry, “an art form that heightens the ability of humans to communicate.”
Before proceeding with the reading of the winners, the president of the jury, Erasmo Leso, a professor at the Faculty of Letters at the University of Verona, explained the guidelines that led to the selection of the winners. “We attempted to step away from the canons of traditionally promoted amateur poetry, trying to set aside overly sentimental compositions and favor works that embraced innovation and irony.”
This was not an easy task, which sparked extensive discussion within the judging panel, also composed of Pierluigi Laita, Romano Brusco, Igino Consolini, Piero Scapini, and Carlo Rigoni. The jurors were called to select the best works for the sections in Italian, dialect of the Triveneto, and theme (“Il Benàco: beauty and richness of its land”). “No decision was made unanimously, but by majority,” added Professor Leso, demonstrating the uncertainty in the final joint decision, coupled with serious consideration and attention to the selection of texts.
A thorough effort, which also held surprises—such as the decision not to award the top three prizes in the thematic section, but to give six commendations to Giovanni Caprini of Verona, Franca Piazzi Zellioli of Cremona, Gemma Iorio of Guastalla, Franco Mantovani of Mantova, Lucia Menini Beltrame of Verona, and Francesco Zanettin of Galliera Veneta.
For the Italian language section, first place went to Costanzo Liprandi of Racconigi, in the province of Cuneo (“Non c’era il lago”), followed by Ludovica Mazzuccato of San Martino di Venezze, Aminah De Angelis of Perugia, Giorgio Rolfi of Mondovì, and Luciana Gatti of Minerbe. Special awards were given to lawyer Guariente Guarienti and Diego Fantin of Thiene.
Additionally, Anna Veronesi Bozzoli of Crevalcore, Adriana Scarpa of Treviso, Rina dal Zilio of Quinto di Treviso, Maria Antonietta Belotti of Brescia, Giuseppe Bartoli of San Cassiano, and Agostino Barbini of Chioggia received honorable mentions. In the Dialect of the Triveneto section, Grappolo d’Oro awarded a prize of one million lire to Fabio Franzin of Cessalto, in the province of Treviso, followed by Renzo Corona of Mezzano di Primiero, Bruno Castelletti of Verona, Bepi Sartori of Volargne, and Ines Scarparolo of Vicenza.
Those recognized with Grappolo d’argento and diplomas included Olga Fioravanti of Schio, Enzo Saggioro of Legnago, Teresa Donatelli of Isola Rizza, Gianni Vivian of Mestre, Nico Bertoncello of Bassano del Grappa, and Nadia Zanini of Bovolone.
The Jury also awarded a memorial prize in honor of Giuseppe Faccincani, former chief reporter of L’Arena, described as a “wise, affectionate, upright teacher and guide for many journalism students.” Mrs. Ivana, the widow of the late professional, received the bronze plaque, a work by sculptor Sergio Pasetto.
