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Mit - UVK_Sinfo_2008_05_št.10 - Index

s o C i e t y
THE FESTIvAL OF CHERRIES 2008 …
WHERE THE ROYAL FRuIT RIPENS!
This year again, a festival was organised in Goriška brda dedicated
to the queen of Brici − the cherry, or ËinËa, as it is called by the
local people. The varied and colourful events that were going
on over two weekends, from the end of May until mid-June,
attracted visitors from everywhere. The Brici opened the doors of
their homes and presented to the world their wine cellars, tourist
farms, restaurants and the galleries decorating their homes. The
festivities started with a concert by the Big Ben Quartet group
and a play in the wonderful medieval village of ©martno, which is
located in the centre of Goriška brda. This little village, decorated
by gase (narrow streets) and ganjki (balconies), is surrounded
with walls and fortified with seven defensive towers that were
built at the beginning of the 15th century as a part of defence
system against the Turks. In addition to the opening concert, they
also provided for all art lovers, and in the shelter of the ancient
©martno walls, in deserted traditional houses of Brici, presented
art collections which attracted numerous visitors.
In the next week, activity moved to the economic and geographical
centre of Goriška brda, to the village of Dobrovo, where there
is also a renaissance castle with baroque ornaments from the
year 1600. Two final performances took place on the Saturday
evening, and a concert of the bands »uki and Bog Foot Mama.
As every year, the most beautiful cherry blossom was selected,
and “Miss Cherry Blossom 2008” was crowned. Everybody also
awaited the participants of the 13th cycling marathon, sponsored
by the Goriška Brda Wine Cellar. Over hundred cyclists rode the
108 kilometres long route from Ljubljana to Dobrovo, which is a
truly unique experience.
The peak of the event was on Sunday, with a traditional cart
procession, on which are presented the customs of Brici, work
on farms and the way of life in times past and today. At the
same time, there was wine tasting on in the cellars of Brici, and
the Brici women baked delicious frtalje and cherry cakes, which
invited visitors to the stalls with home-made delicacies. Just as
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every year, the organisers tried to involve as many Brici villages
as possible, so they organised a travelling brass band, which was
joined by a record 25 bands, amounting to 800 musicians which
together played the final performance. For next year, they are
aiming at whole 1000.
Because cherries represent the first income of the year for a
farmer in Goriška brda, such a festival dedicated to ËinËa is of
extreme importance. The organisers have big plans, because for
next year, in addition to the existing events − Cycling marathon,
March from one to the next cherry tree, selecting Miss Cherry
Blossom, old-timers’ caravan, procession of farm carts and joint
performance of brass bands - they are already preparing many
novelties. And everybody agrees and hopes that the reputation
of the cherries of Brici will spread even further!
WRITERS FROM THE ITALIAN MINORITY
IN SLOvENIA ARE kEEPING THEIR
LANGuAGE ALIvE
A symposium was held in the Italian Culture Institute in Ljubljana
entitled The Literature of the Italian Minority in Slovenia. Writers
living on the Slovene coast and elsewhere in Slovenia are keeping
alive the tradition of Italian literature, known to Slovenes through
Dante, Petrarch and Bocaccio.
Mario Steffe, a literary critic and editor of the bilingual anthology
Versi diversi of poems by writers of the Italian minority in
Slovenia, spoke of the literature of the Italian minority in Istria
and presented the surprisingly fertile literary production in Italian
in this area. Also interesting was the critical account of Gašper
Malej, translator and essayist, who misses the relationship
between Italian and Slovene literature − both existing in the same
area, but with hardly any noticeable contacts. Two guests, poet
and writer Isabella Flego, from the small mining town of Raše in
Croatia, and writer Marco Appolonio presented their work and
creative motives. The symposium was organised as part of the
European Year of Intercultural Dialogue.
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