Jude Katende
27 November 2008
Kampala — WHAT are plazas? Forget the likes of Mutaasa Kafeero Plaza in Kampala and other city buildings also known as arcades. The real plazas are about celebration of life, art and culture. Art fans should visit the Alliance Francaise offices in Nakasero to discover history of the plazas.
It is here that the Italian embassy is climaxing its week-long Italian culture exhibition that includes a photo show, jazz and piano concert.
The concert is on tonight at the Italian ambassador's residence and is by invitation only. It will feature Andrea Pagani Trio and famous songs of popular Italian composers plus jazz, with a little bit of blues, soul and afro-Cuban music.
Back to plazas: When the exhibition opened on Monday, Prof. Barbara Turchetta lectured guests on the plazas' history, with some dating back several centuries.
Each century had different plaza designs. There were many changes across Europe during the industrial revolution and these are also reflected in plazas then.
Art and architectural design fans will find amazing photos of plazas on the walls of Alliance Francaise. Each plaza has captions explaining its history. Plazas as social places are part of European urban inheritance.
They are public open spaces. People meet at plazas for relaxation, but also for events such as political demonstrations. What caught my eye were the talking statues.
Named so because people would write their grievances and paste them on statues where others would read them.
The bill writers were fearless attacking some popes and the Italian government.
One Nicola V (1447-55) wrote that since Nicholas became Pope and murderer, Rome lacked good wine.
Raniero Damuri of the Italian embassy reckons the event will be interesting for all lovers of art and culture. To celebrate the event, 17 plaza photos were sent in for a competition.
Categories included plaza and art, plaza and language among others. Aisha Ssekaana's photo about friends in plazas taken from Da Vinci in Italy won her two Air Uganda tickets to Zanzibar.
Other winners got Warid Telecom connected mobile phones and dinners at Pyramids Restaurant.
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