If love were of a unique form, probably no one would write romantic stories anymore, there would be no multiple myths based on passions, certainly, it would be infinite boredom.

But no, love is multi-faceted, varied, complex. It is a mixture without a precise form of sensations, emotions, experiences and above all symbols, which often come to life through an iconic representation of ideas.

In this regard, what better example than that of the love and passion story of Francesca da Polenta and her inner demons (remember this point). 

The famous Francesca of the Fifth Cantos of Dante’s Comedy and her lover Paolo.

The only souls in Inferno who, although punished among the lush ones, are mercifully swept away together. 

They are the ones that are apostrophe with iconic phrases such as “amor ch’a nullo amato, amar perdona” because while they were reading about a kiss between Geneva and Lancelot, covered and hidden from most by such Galeotto, it seems that they let themselves go to a long and full-bodied lemonade, hence “Galeotto fu ‘l libro e chi lo scrisse” (Galeotto was the book and who wrote it).

Yes, because Francesca was married to a certain Gianciotto, half lame and half blind, in short not really a flower and Paolo was his beautiful and damned brother. Here is the simple story handed down of the love between the beautiful girl and the awesome boy, killed by her husband. 

Here we are, general info defined.

A common love, but there’s more!

We are in Gradara, an amazing little city in the hills of the Marche region. More precisely, we are in the castle that dominates the ancient village.

It seems that the scene of the death of the two lovers was just that: the Castello Malatestiano.

Let’s put the pieces together. 

Paolo and Francesca are two lovers who died for being discovered in their moment of abandonment and passion. Throughout history, Francesca was first a negative figure, a traitor for the bigots, then slowly, and we can scream even less badly, began to become the image of freedom, of those who believe in themselves and face everything, even death. Passion, sin, freedom, beauty, the end.

Gradara has decided to take this last thought and immortalize it, making it a true emblem. How did it do it? Has been called six artists to interpret, in mural format, the image, the story, the evocative symbolism of this woman, who first became a character, then a heroine, and finally an icon. The project is called Oltre le Mura and is a re-evaluation of some walls, blocks, turrets, in an artistic format.

The symbolism/infographic interpretation of Andreco, who sees the two lovers as the two unique entities, represented by united clouds, destined to walk together in Dante’s infernal scenario (Strada Provinciale 47 in corrispondenza dello svincolo con via Cattolica).

Finnano Fenno‘s pop advertising postcard, which rewrites the poster of the amor ch’a nullo amato amar perdona in 3D vintage cinema mode (Via Mercato, 24).

Tellas who paints a texture of leaves on a gigantic widening, the figurative mantle of this story (Via Tavullia/Via S. D’Acquisto).

The reversed story of Paolo and Francesca fighting against Gianciotto with swords illustrated by Burla22 (Fanano – hamlet of Gradara- Via Caravaggio).

Leaves, shrubs, naturalistic interweaving that interact with the path of ivy, the nests of ants, the surrounding environment, the dreamlike journey of Gola Hundun (Via Mercato, 2).

A deconstruction in pixel format and squares, of bright and disorienting colors tending to red, blood and passion spread on two lovers who try to hold their arms in the arm, on the walls of the Municipality of Gradara, of Psiko.

Oltre le Mura is a leap in classical history, a signature marked on contemporary urban art in a province that not everyone knows and should because enlightened and romantic. 

Oltre le Mura is also the idea of the portrait of Francesca and her inner demons. All married, all lovers, all federators, all willing, all free… she more! A champion of that love I was talking about at the beginning, a multiform love, different, a love especially for themselves and their ideas. 

I asked one of the curators of this project a question: “How does Francesca think it would be today?“.

She decided to answer me: “Like me, concrete“.

Oltre le Mura is concrete.

But in the end… what is beyond the walls? 

Well, there is the magic of understanding that sometimes the creative interpretation of history becomes more beautiful than the story itself and that the important thing is to express oneself, a bit like you want. 

The end.

Article and photos by Fabio Persico.

Oltre le Mura is a project powered by Gradara Innova and comune di Gradara realized with the contribution to support the contemporary arts of the Marche Region.
Partner: La Loggia Relais, Gradara.
Artistic direction of the project: Sabrina Gennari.
Article in collaboration with Gradara Innova.