The Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara is one of the world’s oldest academies and the most prestigious Institute in the teaching of Sculpture. The Academy is the beating heart of the most important centre for the extraction and processing of the famous “Carrara marble” a high quality marble with a crystal structure and a bright white colour, extracted in the Apuan Alps, from the basins Ravaccione, Fantiscritti and Colonnata, which surround the town of Carrara. The Academy of Fine Arts of Carrara was founded in 1769 by Maria Terea Cybo, Princess of Carrara ad Duchess of Modena, wife of Ercole Rinaldo d’Este, Duke of Modena. The Academy was founded in order to promote sculpture and the trade of marble. The most eminent sculptors of the past, including Antonio Canova, attracted by the possibility to have available the most precious marbles, arrived in Carrara and came into contact with the Academy. Many sculptors gave plaster casts and chalks to the Academy, with the aim to create a Gipsoteca, which is still availabe to scholars and students. The Sculpture Summer School is located in a place, not far from the city center, next to museums, art galleries and famous sculpture studios where, even today, the most famous national and international sculptors still work. The park of the School, a natural habitat rich in rare and ancient flora, where sculptures made by famous artists are placed, is also the location of a museum dedicated to Michelangelo and a toy library with children’s playground. Students can therefore enjoy a pleasant and equipped place in a beautiful natural location, appreciated especially in summer when lessons can take place outdoor. Courses will be held from the month of July till the middle of September under the supervision of the teachers of the Departement. A model, for the sketch of the figure, will be available to the students to draw the figure from life. The aim of the school is to foster creativeness and individual artistic development, thanks to the introduction of innovative and original approches. Classes offer moments of reflection and learning in a location where important national and international artists face current issues using traditional and experimental tecniques. The courses propose different levels of specialization according to the personal knowledge of the students, from elementary level to high technical specialization. Marble, for the realization of works, is offered by the school as well as tools and basic instrumentation. Students must however provide safety shoes, gloves, caps and facemasks that can be easily found in the several specialized stores in Carrara.
