La pigiatura

80. La pigitura in Montecarlo, Lucca, 1951, oil on hardboard, 90×70

In this vertical canvas, Catarsini celebrates the traditions of the medieval village of Montecarlo, in the Lucca plain, an area renowned for its ancient vineyards. The painting captures the dynamic moment of the grapes being racked under the heat of the September sun. Two barefoot farmers, seen in profile, dominate the entire scene. In the center, between the two, a large tub rests on the ground. The man on the left, wearing a green shirt and peaked cap, pushes the grapes into the container with a stick; the man on the right, wearing a burgundy shirt and dark knickerbockers, holds an overturned basket to catch the bunches.At his feet is a straw-wrapped flask, a symbol of Tuscan peasant culture.

The background is a mosaic of crops. On the left, rows of vines stretch across rolling hills dotted with distant houses. On the right, the landscape is illuminated by different hues—green, ochre, and brown—indicating the various crops, enhanced by the presence of a haystack and a farmer intent on hoeing the land.

The lightly hazy blue sky and the bright colors of the palette convey the feeling of a warm late summer day, making the work a hymn to the industriousness and beauty of the Lucca countryside.

INSIGHTS

The connection between Montecarlo and the vine is renewed every year between late August and early September with the famous Wine Festival. The medieval village comes alive to celebrate its renowned DOC wine with food and wine stands, exhibitions, and historical parades that evoke the ancient roots of this area.

A Family Anecdote: Catarsini’s passion for the rural world has deep roots: his father was a wine merchant. A peculiar story was passed down in the family: Alfredo and his six brothers were all baptized by immersing themselves in a tub of wine. A playful and propitiatory ritual to which the family attributed, with a smile, their proverbial good health.