STIA CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF BLACKSMITHING ART: THREE DAYS OF IRON, ART AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE FROM 4 TO 6 SEPTEMBER

On the 50th anniversary of the European Biennial of Blacksmithing Art, the Casentino village once again becomes an international capital of forging. Among the most eagerly awaited events is the unveiling of Michelangelo Pistoletto’s “Third Paradise” in wrought iron.

Fifty years of fire, iron, creativity and community. From 4 to 6 September 2026, Stia will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the European Biennial of Blacksmithing Art, an event that since 1976 has linked this Casentino village to the art of forging, making it over the years a key meeting point for blacksmiths, artists and enthusiasts from different countries.

For three days, the historic centre will come alive with live forging, talks, contemporary art, workshops, music and events throughout the town, with a programme that looks both to the history of the Biennial and to its future.

The celebrations will open on Friday 4 September in Piazza Tanucci with the official 50th anniversary ceremony. From the morning onwards, in Piazza Mazzini, visitors will be able to watch blacksmiths at work creating the new entrance gate for the green area of the S.T.I.A. Academy, based on the winning project of the 10th “Pier Luigi della Bordella” International Design and Drawing Competition of the 2025 Biennial. In the afternoon, the Teatro Comunale will host the conference “50 Years of Fire… Between Anvil and Hammer”, retracing half a century of the event’s history, while the evening will be dedicated to music.

The most eagerly awaited moment will come on Saturday 5 September, when wrought iron will meet one of the leading figures of Italian contemporary art. At 5 p.m. at the Teatro Comunale, Michelangelo Pistoletto’s “Third Paradise”, reinterpreted in wrought iron by master blacksmiths, will be presented. Speakers will include Francesco Saverio Teruzzi of Fondazione Pistoletto Cittadellarte, together with curators Loris Innocenti and Tommaso Venco of Hexisart.

The work will then be officially unveiled at the Parco delle Terme del Palagio Fiorentino, becoming part of the permanent collection of the Municipality of Pratovecchio Stia and of the project for a diffuse open-air art museum across the area.

Also on Saturday morning, the Teatro Comunale will host a meeting dedicated to Europe, local communities and culture, organised in collaboration with the Europe Direct Centre of the University of Siena and Bottega del Cittadino Europeo, while Piazza Mazzini will continue to be the heart of live forging activities. Younger generations will also be involved through free forging workshops for children aged 6 to 12, led by Daphne Kooistra. The day will end in Piazza Tanucci with the 50th Anniversary Celebration.

On Sunday 6 September, the Biennial will broaden its focus further to the surrounding area. Highlights will include the donation to the Parish of Stia of a cross created by Užventis MENE, Lithuania, and the inauguration of the new itinerant Art Trail through the town, designed to bring artworks beyond traditional exhibition spaces and strengthen the dialogue between art, iron and the urban landscape.

At 11.30 a.m. in Piazza Tanucci, the closing ceremony will also be an opportunity to look ahead, with the presentation of the 27th European Biennial of Blacksmithing Art 2027.

Throughout the weekend, visitors will also be able to visit the Wrought Iron Museum at the Stia Wool Mill free of charge, while the town centre will host the Food Village and the Biennial InfoPoint.

Fifty years after its first edition, Stia once again gathers around fire and iron to celebrate not only an event, but a heritage of knowledge, relationships and craftsmanship that belongs to the community and continues to renew itself through dialogue with contemporary art and culture.

PRESS OFFICE – EUROPEAN BIENNIAL OF BLACKSMITHING ART
Laura Casciotti – laura.casciotti@gmail.com – +39 340 302 1855
Silvia Poledrini – silvia.poledrini@gmail.com – +39 349 476 3830