"The Saturday of the village" at Santuario, Savona, Maria Teresa Castellana

"At the setting of the sun it's the time when the thoughts of a little girl, who gladly awaits for the holiday, open to tenderness, equally the colour is ready to break out from a bright light of grass to get near to the light blue of an enchanting nocturn. The depicter Imelda Bassanello comply with the flowery steps of the girl towards the Saturday of the village to accompany her along a way where light and shade outline a life attitude suspended between reality and dream. In this way Imelda's seven boards start with a gait of air, they were inspired by Giacomo Leopardi's poem and solved as a free song, which was the metrics adopted by the poet. The maiden’s countryside is in her straw hat, in her grass barrow and in the white goose. But above all in a thought joyfully light: gift of the village – as we; bewildered citizens, say today coming to Santuario of Savona, that is the "village" where the artist Imelda Bassanello lives and works - still able to give away a more relaxed breath, less excited voices, discreet silences. In this shady green spot it must have been easier for the depicter to find the song metrical and move the figures in a reflection of the image of a "pretty fable" free from our frenzied times. Because if in the city the hours rumble implacable here in the village, the bell gracefully signal the coming of the holiday. And the feast of the colours leads from Filanda square to Imelda’s Studio where the dialogue between the visitor-traveller and the memory of the Sanctuary continue. In fact other boards, inspired by old stores, made and exhibited by Imelda Bassanello, during the summer in the village, are connected to the composition “The Saturday of the village”. In this way the artist’s hand binds the rural “good time” to a dynamic and aware reality that need also nostalgia.”

Maria Teresa Castellana