At the request of the Municipality of Val Cavargna, artist Massimo Callossi has created a fresco dedicated to Saint Lucius (San Lucio) at the entrance to the Town Hall.
Massimo Callossi is one of the last remaining artists in Italy to practise traditional workshop techniques.
For the people of Cavargna, there could be no better subject than Saint Lucius, a generous shepherd revered as a saint by the local community.
Massimo Callossi has depicted the saint offering a wheel of cheese, with the surrounding mountains providing a beautiful backdrop.
The fresco of Saint Lucius is a unique work of art that residents and visitors can admire whenever they enter the Town Hall.
Saint Lucius: The Subject of the Fresco
Saint Lucius was a shepherd, livestock farmer and cheesemaker who loved nature and, above all, cared deeply for others.
He regularly shared the fruits of his labour with those in need. His generosity aroused the jealousy of other shepherds, who plotted his murder.
Today, an oratory dedicated to Saint Lucius stands on the site where he was killed. Inside, visitors can admire artworks depicting scenes from his life.
Who Is the Artist Massimo Callossi?
Massimo Callossi was born in 1955 in San Giovanni Valdarno, a town in the province of Arezzo, Tuscany, and developed a passion for painting at an early age.
A turning point in his artistic journey came in 1969, when he met Pietro Annigoni, who taught him traditional techniques for preparing canvases with gesso and mounting paintings on canvas and wooden panels.
In 1976, Callossi held his first solo exhibition at the Circolo delle Cinque Vie in Florence.
From the 1980s onwards, he began creating commissioned frescoes, including the work dedicated to Saint Lucius at Val Cavargna Town Hall.
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