From mid-July, the music of New Orleans is coming to the shores of the Sebino (Lake Iseo) with three festivals to light up summer in Brescia province. The first event is “MontisolaManouche”, a gypsy jazz gathering taking place this year from 12th – 14th July. This musical event sees Italian and international guests perform on Italy’s largest lake island, and includes concerts, jam sessions and master classes. Closing the event is the POPular Folk Orchestra conducted by Mirko Casadei – son of the “king of ballroom dancing” Raul Casadei, who brings his song “Romagna mia” to Le Ere beach in Peschiera Maraglio.
The fourth edition of “Le 2 Rive del Jazz” also begins on 12th July and features six events alternating between the provinces of Bergamo and Brescia. In keeping with tradition, the festival opens in the Cantina Barone Pizzini in Provaglio d’Iseo with Barionda, an electrifying quintet composed of four baritone saxophones and one drum set. This is followed by a concert on 18th July in Clusane d’Iseo, where Bellini Nautica hosts “Beatles go Jazz”, a reinterpretation of the hits of the famous group from Liverpool. The Bombardieri-Pasinetti Duo, instead, stars in the ninth edition of the Boat Concert held on 20th July between Lovere and Pisogne in upper Lake Iseo. On 8th August, the event moves to Lungolago Marconi in Marone to commemorate stories of the Great War with the Mousiké Brass Band. It returns to the upper lake on Sunday, 11th August, for a jazz-psychedelic reinterpretation of Pink Floyd’s immortal masterpiece “The Dark Side of the Moon”. The event concludes on Sunday, 8th September, with a concert by Gianluigi Trovesi’s Mediterraneo Quintet. Performing at the Lido delle Rose (Costa Volpino), the quintet will fill the Bergamask shore of the lake with its melodic rhythms and omnivorous sensitivity.
On 17th – 20th July, five further days of great jazz will attract enthusiasts and the curious to Brescia, Gussago and Padenghe sul Garda, with “Jazz on the Road”. This event opens with Eugenio Finardi, followed by Giacomo Papetti’s The Loom, and the quartet comprising Chris Potter, Brad Mehldau, John Patitucci and Jonathan Blake. On Friday, 19th July, the Santa Giulia Museum in Brescia welcomes pianist Shai Maestro, who then hands over the stage to renowned composer Maria Pia De Vito. The evening of 20th July sees jazz singer-songwriter Chiara Civello perform on Lake Garda with songs from the album “Canzoni”, recorded in analogue between Bari, New York and Rio de Janeiro.
These three festivals offer an opportunity to explore the lake’s surroundings, crowning the weekend with some delicious food and wine experiences. The many wineries in nearby Franciacorta contribute to the richness of an area that tells its story through the narratives and products of those who live there. The Bonfadini estate is located in the municipality of Iseo. Here siblings Francesca and Andrea have chosen to honour the legacy of vines inherited from their father by establishing a modern winery. They have expanded this legacy by acquiring ten hectares in Calino, with the goal of reaching a production of two hundred thousand bottles.
Equally ambitious is the enterprise of Chiara Ziliani, who, a few kilometres further south, in Provaglio di Iseo, has achieved her father Evangelista’s oenological dream. Today the winery covers an area of thirty-seven hectares, occupying a small hill of morainic origin in which the various vineyards are exposed to different microclimatic conditions, resulting in elegant and diverse interpretations of the Brescian metodo classico.
The tasting that began in the winery continues at the tables of the El Taller restaurant, where Hilde – of Cuban origin – and Romanian chef Radu intertwine their gastronomic roots with those of Iseo. In this reinterpreted regional cuisine, rooted in the offerings of the vegetable garden and lake, Franciacorta wine also finds a place in the various cocktails. In FraMiTo, it is blended with Milanese bitter and Turin vermouth, bringing a local and “mythical” flair to happy hour.
For those looking to extend their stay in this culturally rich region, B&B Riflessi d’Arte, located at the foot of a hill in Provaglio d’Iseo in the hamlet of Fantecolo, offers charming hospitality. A passion for the artistic and natural treasures of Franciacorta is the theme of this bed and breakfast establishment. Staff are dedicated to immersing guests in beauty, captivating the eyes and spirit of travellers seeking adventure and excitement.
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