On Saturday, 29 August, Cecilia Zorzi will share her ocean challenge and the “Talent Has No Gender” project. On Tuesday, 1 September, Francesco Filippi will close the “Un Saggio dopocena” series with his book 500 Years of Anger.

Two very different stories, united by a desire to explore the world through personal experiences, passions and new perspectives. This is the common thread running through the next events at LA STAZIONE / destinazione cultura in Predazzo, which between the end of August and the beginning of September will host two guests who have turned their personal journeys into opportunities for discussion and reflection.

The programme begins on Saturday, 29 August at 5 pm with Cecilia Zorzi, a Trentino sailor and world champion in offshore sailing, followed on Tuesday, 1 September at 8.45 pm by Trentino historian Francesco Filippi, who will be the guest of the closing evening of the “Un Saggio dopocena” series.

Two events with very different subjects and approaches, yet both revolving around the same question: what happens when a passion, an idea or a personal experience manages to go beyond its original boundaries?

Cecilia Zorzi, from Lake Caldonazzo to the ocean

The first story comes from the world of sport and begins in a place that may seem a long way from the great ocean sailing routes: Lake Caldonazzo.

It was here that Cecilia Zorzi discovered sailing while she was still in primary school. That first experience marked the beginning of a journey that took her from youth sailing classes to the Nacra 17, the high-performance foiling Olympic catamaran, and later into offshore sailing and long-distance ocean challenges.

Throughout her career, Cecilia has competed in a variety of crews, sailed across the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, and completed three non-stop round-Italy sailing races.

Her impressive record includes two world titles and two European titles in offshore sailing, as well as a third-place finish in the Admiral’s Cup, one of the most prestigious events in British sailing tradition.

Today, however, the sea represents a new challenge for Cecilia – one that goes beyond sporting achievements.

A boat to cross the ocean and a project to promote talent

In 2023, construction began on Eki, the Mini 6.50 that Cecilia is using as part of her journey towards the Mini Transat, one of the most demanding and fascinating competitions in ocean sailing.

Crossing the Atlantic alone means facing the sea, physical and mental fatigue and the unexpected, while relying entirely on one’s own skills and ability to make decisions.

It is precisely this experience that inspired “Cecilia in Oceano”, a project that uses sailing as a platform to talk about talent, opportunities and gender equality.

Its message is summed up in the title of the event itself: “Talent Has No Gender.”

Cecilia wants to use her experience to inspire younger generations and demonstrate that skills, determination and talent should never be limited by gender.

This commitment also complements her role as a Young Ambassador for Women&Tech – Associazione Donne e Tecnologie, an organisation dedicated to promoting female talent and supporting initiatives against gender discrimination.

The event in Predazzo will therefore offer much more than the story of a sailor who has taken her experience from the waters of an Alpine lake to the Atlantic Ocean. It will also be an opportunity to discover the person behind the sporting achievements and learn more about the project she is building around her experience.

From sailing to history: Francesco Filippi and 500 Years of Anger

Just a few days later, on Tuesday, 1 September at 8.45 pm, LA STAZIONE will shift its focus completely and take the audience into the world of history with Francesco Filippi.

The Trentino historian will be the guest of the final event in the “Un Saggio dopocena” series, presenting his book 500 Years of Anger, published by Bollati Boringhieri.

Filippi’s journey spans five centuries, drawing a connection between two seemingly distant moments: the spread of movable-type printing in the 16th century and the rise of social media in the contemporary world.

In between are revolts, social transformations and conflicts, but above all a remarkably topical subject: the relationship between information, communication, power and social anger.

From Gutenberg to Capitol Hill

Gutenberg’s printing press revolutionised the circulation of ideas. For the first time, a new technology made it possible to spread information and opinions on a much wider scale, allowing people excluded from traditional centres of power to recognise shared interests and concerns.

Filippi begins here, exploring the anger that spread across 16th-century Europe and found one of its most dramatic expressions in the German Peasants’ War, which was ultimately crushed with extreme violence.

The journey then moves forward to 6 January 2021, when a crowd stormed the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Five centuries separate these two events, yet Filippi identifies a common element that allows them to be viewed in relation to one another: in both cases, a new means of communication helped bring to the surface and organise anger that was already present within society.

First came the printing press; today, it is social media.

History thus becomes a tool for understanding the present and for questioning the way information is produced, shared and used.

An evening of books, music and conversation

Francesco Filippi is already a familiar face to audiences in Predazzo. A historian specialising in the history of mentalities and a trainer for the Deina Association for Social Promotion, he is involved in developing and delivering remembrance journeys and educational programmes throughout Europe.

His publications include Mussolini ha fatto anche cose buone. Le idiozie che continuano a circolare sul fascismo, Ma perché siamo ancora fascisti? Un conto rimasto aperto, Noi però gli abbiamo fatto le strade. Le colonie italiane tra bugie, razzismi e amnesie and Guida semiseria per aspiranti storici social. In 2024, he also presented his young adult novel Bye Bye Benny in Predazzo.

During the 1 September event, Libreria Capitolo 3 will be present with copies of the author’s books available for signing. Gifts for guests will be provided by the social agricultural cooperative Terre Altre, while the evening’s music will be performed by the “Il Pentagramma” School of Music of Fiemme and Fassa.

Two events, then, marking the transition from August to September with two different ways of looking at the world: Cecilia Zorzi’s perspective, using the sea to explore challenge, talent and the ability to push beyond one’s limits, and Francesco Filippi’s approach, using history to interpret the transformations taking place in contemporary society.

This is also the role of a place such as LA STAZIONE: creating opportunities to encounter stories, people and ideas, starting from Predazzo and looking far beyond the valley.

Admission to all events is free.