Waltzes, polkas, mazurkas and quadrillas return to dance on Saturday afternoon in what has become a regular event and always followed by the public. We are talking about the Gran Ballo dell’Unità d’Italia, now in its 27th edition. Each stage of this event has its common thread and today the inspiration is the recreation combined with the restitution of the city of “Ballo anch’io”, historical dance project with which the association 8cento Aps aims to make the history of Bologna, its arcades, its peculiarities and characteristics known through this form of language.
the official program
The program of the event, conceived and curated by the 8cento Aps association in collaboration with the Museo Civico del Risorgimento–Certosa di Bologna, the Servizio Territorial Educational Disability of the Municipality of Bologna and the Mazzini Primary School of the Ic14, starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Voltone del Baraccano. The procession will arrive at 6:00 p.m. in Piazza Carducci, thus returning to the imaginary setting of the Ball Party that took place at the Teatro Comunale on May 2. 1860 on the occasion of the visit of King Vittorio Emanuele II in Bologna. Numerous reality shows that will participate, from the female group of the Jacopo da Bologna Choir to Quam Pulchra Es, and then Serenissime Danze 800 Verona, Salotto Maffei, and with them the boys followed by the Municipal Social Service Group for Disability, together with the students of the Mazzini primary school, with whom some of the workshops of the project were carried out. All coordinated by Alessia Branchi who was in charge of the direction.
19th century clothing
In the center of the stage we will see a hundred dancers in rigorous nineteenth-century costume engaged in what he calls the carnet de bal of the time, that is, the recreation of «the enchanting spectacle that touched the soul of the Bolognese», as recounted by the notary Enrico Bottrigari who is passionate about the country’s history in his powerful «Cronaca di Bologna», dedicated to the most outstanding events in the city that occurred between 1845 and 1871 and which is still preserved in the Archiginnasio Library. Bologna in the center also in the presentation of the only Italian dances written and composed by the Bolognese master Luigi Giovetti on the occasion of the unification of Italy, who dedicated six dances to as many cities: Naples, Turin, Florence, Rome, Milan and Venice. Reconstruction of music and dance. instead, it is the result of the work carried out by the Italian Dance Masters of the 19th century.
Information and reservations
Not only. On this occasion you can also visit the Civic Museum of the Risorgimento and the exhibition «Victor Emmanuel is coming! From the celebrations of 1860 to the celebrations of 1888», inaugurated on May 18. The museum will be open for free from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., with the possibility of free visits from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. And woe to lose the homage offered to the king, a magnificent horse harness, by the Ladies’ Primary Committee on behalf of the citizens. Admission is free and there is the possibility of 200 sessions (Information and reservations: 340 2719343 and info@8cento.org. In case of bad weather, the event will take place on Sunday, May 28same times). The Great Ball of the Unification of Italy is part of the Bologna “Portici Festival-Heritage meet Creativity”, the event promoted by the Municipality of Bologna to celebrate the Heritage Porticos of humanity from Unesco.
