Press Release

LA SPEZIA – From 11th until 16th of June, the first edition of Maìna will be held. The marine Festival is a biennial of art, culture, science and traditions connected to the sea. With more than 100 events during 6 days, La Spezia becomes capital of marine and celebrates 140 years of the Navy Arsenal.

The first edition of Maìna will be held from 11th until 16th of June in La Spezia – The Marine festival, a biennial of art, science, culture and traditions connected to the sea that for 6 days will make La Spezia a reference point for those who loves the sea. A brand new event for La Spezia that aims to become the most important Marine event at Italian and international level.

The city prepares itself for a number of events related to one single identity theme, the sea; it is seen through its various perspectives: tradition, handicrafts, know how, technology, sport and culture.

«The idea that La Spezia and its Gulf should be the natural seat of an international event connected to tradition and marine culture was known since time» says the Mayor of La Spezia Mr. Massimo Federici,. «Now its time to realize a big Festival, together with the celebrations for the 140 years from the construction of the Navy Arsenal that Cavour wanted to be built here.

The name Maìna Maìna:
it is a word that in the La Spezia dialect means “a place near the sea”… And now once again the connection with the tradition, to propose in new ways the identity and to watch to the future.

The graphic identity of MAìNA-the Marine Festival
 A strong and capable hull, with an inclined tree and a yard where a Latin sail was armed. This was the “leudo” a typical Ligurian transport boat, from the Middle Age to the coming of motorboats.
The logo of the Marine Festival is inspired to this type of boat. A tribute to the memory of shipbuilding but also to the sense of community that developed around these sailboats, that feed many local generations. In fact these boats, when no ports existed, were winged on the beach and when they were arriving from navigations in the Tirreno Sea, gathered men women and children on the beach. They welcomed the crew coming with wines , cheese and sand and people helped to disembark the hold. The many arms needed for this kind of work reinforced the marine roots of the community.
The Marine Festival is aimed to this: :recover the memory of the past to watch to the future stronger and with a strong cultural heritage, where the sea is the main resource for the development of La Spezia and of the Poets’ Gulf.

This is the reason why the Leudo is the symbol of the event. This happens in a period when there is a recovering and valorisation process of the Leudo felice Manin (1981) saved from demolition in Chicago in 2000 and that since then, in the Navy Arsenal of La Spezia, has become a gymnasium. Now it is valorised by another winning team work: Navy Arsenal, Fincantieri, Cisita training institute and the Association 'Let’s save the leudo Felice Manin' .
More than 100 events will give life to the City and its Gulf, during the 6 days of the Festival: regattas, shows and expositions, special visits to the Navy Arsenal and to the local Shipyards, food and wine happenings, streets’ shows and big events in the main squares.
All the city will be transformed. There will be no square, street or alley that will not become a stage for music or shows. The city will be full of lights sounds and colours that will create a unique atmosphere. And thanks to the friendship relation between the Navy and the Municipality, even the Navy base will be a place of culture and shows. It will be a unique opportunity for both tourists and local people to visit this excellent example of industrial architecture.

The Poets’ Gulf will be the field of important boat meetings and regattas among the most important of the season.
These events will be realised with the support of the most important sailing associations. Special guest will be Giovanni Soldini, who will be present during the Festival.
There will be also a great international exhibition on Naval and Maritime Innovations . The local Chamber of Commerce will present Seafuture, a new event for 2009. The research Centres, the Ligurian District of Marine Technologies and the University based in our city, further to the most innovative enterprises will exchange technologies and innovations even with initiatives directed to the public.
Furthermore, technology, design, handicraft and know how will be gathered in an open workshop under the sky, visible to everybody.
The Marine Festival is like a big mosaic work, capable to give suggestive moments to the different targets and promising to satisfy everybody’s needs by the way of a rich program that wants to represent past, today and the future of La Spezia. It will bring the best our country produced in the Marine sector renewing the traditions.
Through this Festival La Spezia confirms its role of Marine capital;the Municipality, the Navy, Liguria Region, Province of La Spezia, The Municipalities of the Poets’ Gulf Lerici and Portovenere, Chamber of Commerce the Committee of the marine Hamlets of the Gulf Prize, NURC (Nato Undersea Research Centre) and Port Authority, are working together for this aim.