Urbs Scripta Festival Returns to Venice and Chioggia for Second Edition on Historical Graffiti
The second edition of Urbs Scripta, Italy's inaugural festival focused on historical graffiti, is set to take place from May 8 to 12, 2024, in Venice and Chioggia. Established in 2023 by Alberto Toso Fei alongside historian Desi Marangon, this festival is the culmination of a five-year initiative that has documented more than six thousand pieces of graffiti dating from the 11th century to 1945. This year's events will feature special tours, lectures, exhibitions, and a family-friendly treasure hunt. New additions include a study day at Ateneo Veneto, a photographic display, and guided excursions of Palazzo Ducale. A significant find is a Glagolitic inscription from 1470, discovered by the University of Zagreb. Toso Fei emphasizes that graffiti serve as a "public history" project.
Key facts
- Second edition of Urbs Scripta festival, May 8–12, 2024, in Venice and Chioggia.
- Founded by Alberto Toso Fei and historian Desi Marangon in 2023.
- Based on a five-year census mapping over 6,000 readable graffiti from 11th century to 1945.
- Includes Viking runes on an Arsenale lion (11th century) and prisoner laments.
- Books: 'I Graffiti di Venezia' (2022) and 'Venezia Urbs Scripta' (2023).
- Events: treasure hunts, study day at Ateneo Veneto, tactile exhibition, blind-access visit to Fontego dei Tedeschi, guided tours of Palazzo Ducale and Lazzaretto Nuovo.
- Debate 'A chi appartiene la città' between writers and decorum associations.
- Glagolitic inscription discovered at Loggia Foscara, dated 1470, possibly by Blaž Baromić.
- Chioggia features fishermen's accounting marks and builders' signs on Murazzi di Sottomarina.
- Festival described as unique in Italy and Europe.
Entities
Artists
- Alberto Toso Fei
- Desi Marangon
- Blaž Baromić
- Aldo Manuzio
Institutions
- Urbs Scripta
- Lineadacqua
- Editoriale Programma
- Ateneo Veneto
- Fontego dei Tedeschi
- Palazzo Ducale
- Lazzaretto Nuovo
- Arsenale
- Basilica di San Marco
- University of Zagreb
- University of Novosibirsk
- Artribune
Locations
- Venice
- Chioggia
- Sottomarina
- Italy
- Croatia
- Novosibirsk
- Zagreb