The Ovo Pinto museum is located in Civitella del Lago, a charming medieval village perfectly preserved. Walking inside the castle walls, between narrow streets and elegant Renaissance palaces, the atmosphere is timeless.
The good location, on top of a hill, gives visitors breathtaking views over the Tiber River and Corbara Lake, and the eye can range, on clear days, up to the mountains of Lazio and Tuscany.
But not only the charm of the old village and the beautiful scenery are the gems that adorn Civitella, it houses a unique museum: the Ovo Pinto Museum.
It all started, more than 30 years ago, with the intention not to squander the wealth of the old traditions. Eggs have always had a value, both symbolic and economic, in the countryside. They were used to make purchases, through bartering, until less than a hundred years ago, and they were, of course, and still are, symbol of life and rebirth. During the Easter period, women used to color the eggs with herbs and natural substances, to bring them to the blessing of Good Friday, and to be eaten for the traditional Easter breakfast.
So started the idea of an egg painting competition between the schools, then open to everybody, which has been, and continues to be, a huge success. The competition allowed to collect a huge amount of material, so as to give life, in 2005, to the Museum.
Eggs of all sizes, from pigeon to ostrich, all absolutely natural, decorated with different techniques and imaginative (there are also mosaics formed from shredded egg shells). The issues addressed in the works are innumerable and touching, so as to give rise in some cases to realizations of strong emotional impact. The museum hosts works of artists and amateurs, big and small, from all over the world. The material is too much to find a place in the showcases of the museum, in fact, the works are replaced periodically, so as to give life to changing exhibitions.
See you in the days between Easter weekend and May 1st, when the competition, exhibition and many cultural events take place to liven up the cultural offerings of Civitella.
Benedetta Tintillini
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