Once upon a time a pumpkin - from #LRCrafts - DIY Passion: if you can think it, you can make it by Rici86.
Leggi in italianoI was born in a small town in the hills, a Medieval village made up of stone houses clustered around a thousand-year-old castle. I have taken care of this fortress for about half my life: even now that I moved to a big city and my new job is in a different branch, it happens that someone still recognises me as “the castellan”, the castle keeper.
Every time we come back to my hometown, we like paying a visit to the castle. Even our daughter has also become fond of the place, and she has a special connection with Virginia, who now organises the guided tours as I did before her.
This August, as soon as we arrived in the village, we immediately wanted to go up there for a visit. The place has always been a location for events of any kind, mainky in Summer, so it was no surprise finding a newly-opened exhibition at the ground floor.
Well, not the usual art exhibition, though. The four rooms facing the inner courtyard were closed by a black curtain. Behind those black thresholds we found ourselves in a magical world. A world of human creativity, of genuine craftsmanship, of awe for ingenuity.
“C’era una zucca” (“There was a pumpkin”) is the exhibition organised by Virginia at the Dal Verme Castle of Zavattarello to show everyone the creations by Mariangela Faccini and Samuel Macalli, who make lamps with pumpkins. Their handmade creations are capable of transporting you into the world of fantasy.
“Once upon a time a pumpkin”, exhibition of the pumpkin lamps made by Mariangela Faccini and Samuel Macalli,
at the Dal Verme Castle in Zavattarello (Pavia, Italy) from 5th to 27th August 2023
We interviewed the artisans to know more about their crafts, from the field to the castle.
First of all, what are your creations and how did you begin?
It all began after my father died. My husband and I decided to continue cultivating the family fields. And by growing vegetables and tending bees, we fell in love with the beauty of nature and the importance of seeds. We also decided to sow melliferous flowers and ancient vegetables. With some beans and seeds we make jewellery, while with pumpkins we make lamps. It is also a way to use the time in winter when the countryside needs us less.
How did you came up with the idea of lamps?
We sowed pumpkins thinking we would eat them, but the taste of these pumpkins is not great. It is called lagenaria siceraria or calabash and here in Oltrepò Pavese it was once used as a canteen. In fact, we have tried leaving them to dry out. They are very resistant!
We have tried making handbags out of them, hats and using them as huts for small cribs. But the most successful object was the lamps. Actually, I got the idea for the lamps from the Internet, and then modified it to my taste.
The gourd Lagenaria Sicenaria
The gourd lagenaria siceraria, originally from Africa, has produced fruits since Roman times. Unripe, they were light green, long and often curved, covered in down. As they ripened they became smooth, the skin hardened and the inside emptied, and were then used to produce containers for liquids, especially flasks. The main characteristics of these fruits, once dried, were resistance and impermeability.
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How long have you been making them?
We started in 2020. I expressed the desire to try making lamps with these pumpkins. And my husband gave me the first drill for my birthday.
And how did the exhibition come about?
The exhibition was Virginia’s idea. To us it seemed more related to craftsmanship than art. She convinced us by fantasising about the set-up. And now we are very happy, especially about the pumpkins! They are very lucky to be shining in a castle museum…
Yes, the castle of Zavattarello is perfect for all forms of art. Displaying one’s creations in its thousand-year-old rooms is not like doing so in a modern exhibition hall, amidst four white walls that could be found anywhere. Here the artist instead has to deal with centuries of history, which transmit their power to the works, in an intertwining between container and content that is unique. Every work exhibited here acquires the charm of the manor and surrenders its artistic power to it.
And this is how Le Api di Franco came into being. From the desire to keep the family crops after the death of her father, an entirely original use of the products of the earth was born.
And these wonderful creations are sure to leave a tangible sign of the countryside, the land, and all the people who cared for their growth. Even when the exhibition is over, go and discover Mariangela and Samuel’s lamps.
I love it when people manage to find new and original ways to keep a tradition alive.
Le Api di Franco
Find out more about Mariangela and Samuel’s creations on their website and social profiles.
Web site
