Festival 'Abitare la vacanza' explores how leisure shaped coastal architecture in Liguria and France

The diffuse festival 'Abitare la vacanza. Architettura per il tempo liberato' launches to investigate how mass tourism transformed coastal landscapes from the economic boom onward. Curated by Gloria Bovio, Andrea Canziani, and Emanuele Piccardo, the event unfolds in two phases: July 1–5 in Varazze and July 8–13 in Ospedaletti, then expands to the Côte d'Azur and Var between autumn 2025 and 2026. It features exhibitions, talks, workshops, guided tours, and film screenings. Key architectural case studies include Luigi Carlo Daneri's Capo Pino and Capo Nero residential complexes near Sanremo and Ospedaletti, and interventions by Ignazio Gardella and Marco Zanuso at Piani d'Invrea in Varazze, opened to the public with tours by IN/Arch Liguria. Highlights include 'Diario Vacanza', a participatory space collecting 1960s–70s postcards, photos, and stories to build a shared archive; the festival's 'Edicola' with deckchairs and umbrellas for relaxation; the photo exhibition 'MiraMare' by Gaia Cambiaggi, Marco Introini, and Emanuele Piccardo; a children's architecture school; and screenings of Reinhold Jaretzky's documentary 'Des rêves de vacance en béton'. Organizers cite Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1959 'La lunga strada di sabbia' (with photographer Paolo Di Paolo), Casabella issues 283–284 on Italian coasts, and the 1964 XIII Triennale on leisure as historical references for the festival's contemporary reflection on cultural shifts and vacation lifestyles in post-war tourist destinations.