With the appointment scheduled for Saturday 21 February 2026 at 17:00 in the hall of the Gottarelli Foundation, Via Caterina Sforza 13 in Imola, we want to commemorate the anniversary of the death of our founder Tonino Gottarelli, with a classical harp concert entitled "Sound brushstrokes: The harp in the heart of art", performed by Irene De Bartolo.
The evening of Saturday 21 February 2026, dedicated to Tonino Gottarelli, will be an exciting journey through sounds rich in melodies in a context rich in works of art that will leave an indelible imprint in the hearts of classical harp enthusiasts.
Imola has a heart full of memories, Gottarelli was born in 1920 in an alley where two bicycles struggle to cross each other. He had a deep connection to his homeland that can be seen in almost all of his paintings and stories. Just move away from the city for a moment and walk along the roads that lead to the hills around Imola, which immediately open up to our eyes that wonderful world full of enchantment, life and habits reproduced on many canvases that make the soul vibrate for its landscape dynamism. Gottarelli's creative world is dense and full of recognizable elements that describe the most beautiful landscapes in a precise and evocative way, with the most beautiful poetic language. He loved walking or cycling through the hills of Imola to scrutinize the sensations of the places, the inexhaustible laws of nature and transform them into the inner strength to tell, transformed into writing or painting, linked to the approach of words or colors. His literary or pictorial work opens up a wide space beyond infinity and leads us back into a continuous living room or into the madness of the reader or viewer to see the harmonious play of the parts. And therefore, his figurative art is nothing more than a laboratory of footprints and his literary art a silent painting.
The sweet and harmonious sound of the harp will fill the room with magic and in that magical space where past and future dissolve and time stops, the soul abandons itself in an inner dance accompanied by the sweet melodies of the harp that blend with the visual arts to create emotions and narratives, from antiquity to the present day.
Irene De Bartolo will offer musical pieces, ranging from classical to contemporary music, passing through the soundtracks that best suit the sweet sound of the harp and other curiosities. From a very young age, the harpist from Ferrara has shown an extraordinary passion for music. The musician graduated with honors in classical harp at the "F. Venezze" Conservatory in Rovigo, in 1993, under the guidance of M.L. Cardin Fontana. As a harpist he has participated in numerous national and international competitions, always ranking among the first places. He collaborates and has collaborated with various orchestras. For years he taught together with a professional musician and is currently a teacher of classical and Celtic harp at the New School of Music "Vassura – Baroncini" in Imola.
The concert will start at 17:00.
Free admission by donation

On Wednesday 18 March 2026, at 21:00, the Sala della Fondazione Gottarelli (via Caterina Sforza 13) will host a meeting dedicated to one of the most fascinating and discussed topics in medieval history: the presence of the Order of the Templars in our territory.
The event will feature the researcher and essayist Marco Pelliconi, who will lead the audience in a conversation entitled: "The Knights Templar in Emilia-Romagna and Imola".
The meeting aims to shed light, with historical and documentary rigor, on the traces left by the "warrior monks" in the region, with a specific focus on the city of Imola. During the evening, the settlements, mansions and the economic and spiritual influence that the Order exercised on the Imola territory before its dramatic suppression at the beginning of the fourteenth century will be analyzed.
The speaker
Marco Pelliconi, an expert in medieval history, will guide us on a historical journey that reveals the secrets and traces left by the Knights Templar in our territory. A profound connoisseur of local history, he will help to distinguish between historical reality and legend, revealing the places that still bear witness to the passage of the Templars along the Via Emilia.
Admission is free subject to availability.

On Wednesday 15 April 2026 at 9:00 pm, the Sala Fondazione Gottarelli (via Caterina Sforza 13, Imola) will host an unmissable event for lovers of local history: a conversation in images curated by Maurizio Flutti entitled "Historic Imola: walks in the memory of the city".
The meeting is proposed as a journey through time, with the aim of rediscovering forgotten corners and fragments of daily life that have marked the characteristics of Imola. Thanks to a careful selection of historical images, Flutti will guide the public in a narrative that intertwines archival documentation and collective memories.
An exciting journey through period photographs, historical documents and visual testimonies that tell the evolution of Imola: its squares, alleys, historic shops and the faces of those who have animated the city over the decades.
The speaker
Maurizio Flutti will accompany us on this journey into the collective memory of Imola, revealing stories, anecdotes and curiosities related to the places and traditions of our city.
A Heritage to Rediscover
The evening "Imola Storica: walks in the memory of the city" represents a precious opportunity to rediscover the cultural roots of the Imola area and reflect on how the past continues to live in the present of the city.
The event represents a unique opportunity to reflect on the identity of our city and the value of preserving historical memory as a basis for the future of the community.
Free admission subject to availability