Friday evening. The last light falls behind the mountains surrounding the Arcadian Laggadia, the gaze is riveted to the horizon of an unprecedented sunset glowing in the distance. The pale orange of the west blends with the warm green of the wooded slopes. Performance.

The village square is not yet filled, its time has not yet come. On the contrary, at the entrance to the village, the hall, which once housed the Post Office (at the beginning of the 20th century, 8,000 inhabitants lived in Lagadia, today it does not exceed 200), is suffocatingly full. This year’s Stone Festival events culminate in an exhibition that brings together craftsmen from Lagada and Epirus, a vast and unexplored tradition that has been brought to light in recent years in creatively parallel lives by the association “Friends of Arcadian Traditional Architecture”. Anthi tis Petra” with chief animator Dr. Lagada and Prof. Yiannis Tsiaousis and a related initiative also by Prof. Nikos Yiannis “Epekeina Hora” in Vitsa Zagori.

These two worlds are brought together by the exhibition, curated by Iris Kritou, thanks to a unique archival material consisting of idiomatic glossaries of artisans, photographs, tools, travel stories and working diaries, and thanks to such a harmonious coexistence of the works of Stratigula Giannikopoulos of Lagadini and the sculptor. Giorgos of Epirus Curse.

It was very pleasing to see that the audience of the discussion that followed the opening (fascinating speeches by Giannis Drinis, Giorgos Smyris and Marija Cupis) were mostly young people, since last week the 4th Stone Art Workshop was held with the participation mainly of the students of the faculties, related to the subject (future architects, restorers, etc.). As I have learned, the Seminar gets very busy every year, with seats filling up within a few hours. Pleasant moments, beautiful images from Greece are persistently and creatively present.