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08 May1960
Launching of the Auriga
Author
Famiglia Balestrieri
Format
9,5mm
Duration
1'21''
Credits
Music by Alessio Ricci & Mix audio Pierpaolo Ovarini | Biennio di Musica da Film del Conservatorio di Musica di Bologna

The sculptural group of the Four Moors celebrates the 16th century victories of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany over the Barbary corsairs that had raged on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. At the base of the sculpture depicting Ferdinando de' Medici are four chained Moors. Over the monument's images are the family footage of the Balistreri family, Florentines on a trip to Livorno. It is 8 May 1960, the port of Livorno, several centuries after the glorious times of the Medici, is still one of the most important ports in Italy and the Mediterranean. The dramatic bombardments of the war that sowed death and destruction were followed by reconstruction and the resumption of traffic and activities. On this day, the Crossbowmen witnessed a great event: the launching of the giant merchant ship Auriga, which came out of the Ansaldo shipyards. A spectacle for the eyes of those filming in 1960 and a great achievement, the result of the efforts of industry, workers and the entire city witnessing the event. We do not know if the family in Florence has a direct relationship with the port landscape in front of which they repeatedly portray themselves, however this film suggests a connection or a particular empathy for those places and that moment.

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