In Santa Sofia between culture and nature

First Stage - The 'Vero Stoppioni' Contemporary Art Gallery

The Contemporary Art Gallery is located in the centre of Santa Sofia, in Viale Roma, 5. Entitled to "Vero Stoppioni", promoter of the Campigna Prize, it was established in 1990 to exhibit and preserve the works created during the various editions of the Contemporary Art Prize from the 1950s to the present day. Numerous important artists such as Fabrizio Plessi, Mattia Moreni, Piero Ruggeri, Pompilio Mandelli, Enzo Brunori, Alberto Sughi, Giovanni Korompay and Aldo Borgonzoni have participated.

It features the most interesting contemporary Italian artistic trends, with works ranging from realism to informal art, from pop art to abstractionism, from metaphysical representation to new figuration.

A special section is dedicated to Mattia Moreni (1920-1999), "the most mobile and restless of our masters" as art historian Renato Barilli defines him, who participated in various editions of the Premio Campigna, creating a privileged relationship with Santa Sofia and its territory.

The Gallery is usually open on Sundays (from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.). Visits can be arranged on request by contacting the Culture Office of the Municipality, by calling 0543 975428-29 or 0543 974551.

Second Stage - The Outdoor Sculpture Park

In the old town center, from the Parco della Resistenza (formerly Parco Giorgi, access from Piazza Matteotti) you can discover the Open-air Sculpture Park, created in 1993 in close connection with the 'Vero Stoppioni' Gallery and dedicated to contemporary art.

Here you can admire Mauro Staccioli's work "Santa Sofia '93" and Hidetoshi Nagasawa's "Under the ginkgo tree", while in the nearby Piazza Matteotti, looking up at the façade of the "ex-Mairie", the former seat of the municipality, you will discover Chiara Pergola's work entitled "VIA".

Third stage - Ridracoli, the dam and the eco-museum

Approximately 13 km from Santa Sofia, taking Via San Martino, in the heart of the Casentino Forest National Park, is the Ridracoli Dam, a perfect example of integration between man's work and the environment.

The dam, an artificial barrage of the Bidente river, stretches for almost 5 km towards the forests of Monte Falterona and Campigna.

A visit to this small corner of paradise offers many opportunities to spend time in the open air, surrounded by water and colorful nature. Trips on the electric boat with a guided tour on board, canoe tours, excursions and e-bike hire are possible.

Within 30-40 minutes you can reach the Cà di Sopra Refuge on foot, where you can stop for a picnic or a moment of relaxation at the green area in front, from which you can dominate the entire dam, admiring a breathtaking view.

Furthermore, you can visit the IDRO ecomuseum, an interactive museum in which water and the territory are the protagonists, where you can run experiments and watch documentaries on the Bidente Valley fauna and the origin of life.

Idro is made up of a central location, in the village of Ridracoli, which includes several exhibition rooms, and themed stations: the technological, landscape and nature centers located in the dam area.

In Santa Sofia between culture and nature

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