vom 4. bis 7 September 2025

September 4–7, 2025, Tuscany – The 26th European Biennial of Blacksmithing Art in the medieval village of Stia

This year, the Biennial is part of the European project Iron Notes, which involves professionals and events from Italy, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia.

The 26th edition of the European Biennial of Blacksmithing Art will take place from September 4 to 7, 2025, in the charming medieval village of Stia, nestled in the Casentino Valley in Tuscany, Italy.
The Biennial is an internationally renowned event dedicated to artistic and traditional wrought ironwork, promoted and organized by the Autonomous Association for the Stia Biennial of Blacksmithing Art and the Municipality of Pratovecchio Stia.

Forging, applied arts, and design: for four days, blacksmiths from all over the world will gather in this Tuscan village to exchange ideas, refine techniques, share best practices, and ignite creativity.
The highlight of the event is the World Forging Championship, where artisans will demonstrate their talent and mastery at the anvil, striking red-hot iron with hammer and passion. A wide range of competitions and side events enrich the program: from sculpture and design to photography and the discovery of Tuscany’s cultural and artistic heritage.

Since 1976, every two years, the Stia Biennial – the world’s longest-running exhibition of artistic wrought iron craftsmanship – transforms the streets and squares of the village into a vast open-air workshop. The event promotes the ancient craft of forging, deeply rooted in the local tradition and community, while projecting it into the future. It aims to build a new and contemporary vision of ironwork in line with the evolution of society. At the same time, it offers the public the opportunity to discover the value of artisanal work and artistic iron creations.

Live demonstrations, exhibitions of wrought iron pieces, conferences, markets, workshops for children, and musical performances make up a rich program that allows visitors to experience forging techniques firsthand and interact directly with the artisans.

Founded in 1976, the Biennial of Stia has, for nearly 50 years, welcomed master blacksmiths and young talents from across the globe, celebrating their creativity and skill. For many years, it has been part of the Ring of the European Cities of Iron Works, a network that since 2003 has promoted and preserved the ironworking tradition, bringing together Europe’s most significant iron-related cities.

For its 2025 edition, the Biennial is proud to be part of Iron Notes – At the Borders of Iron, a European project launched in Stia with its kick-off meeting in April. The project brings together artists, artisans, designers, and students from Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Italy to explore ironworking as a cultural and artistic form of expression.

Iron Notes aims to enhance the value of forging in today’s society by encouraging exchange and collaboration among professionals and enthusiasts throughout Europe. The project places iron at the center of a broader cultural reflection on its uses and symbolic power in the past, present, and future.

https://www.biennaleartefabbrile.it/