FACTORY DARDANO 44
In the heart of Cortona, a few steps from Porta Colonia, there is a special, unique space - Factory Dardano 44
A free workshop, a place of aggregation where everyone can go to paint. Here you can find canvases, colours, brushes and even ideas, in case you don't have them when you cross the threshold of this magical place, where time seems not to exist.
The mastermind behind this magical place is founder and president Aldo Calussi and we caught up with him to ask him a few questions….here is the interview……
Where does the idea of the Factory come from?
The idea of the Factory was born in 2019, on the threshold of my pension. I started to design a space that could replicate for a wider audience some of the things I did at home for my friends: painting together, telling stories, listening to pieces of musical works, in short, activities that helped to be together, improving the quality of life of each one. A space was found in via Dardano and we started with painting, then little by little we became a point of aggregation for the Cortonese community that participates in our activities.
The name Factory is inspired by AndyWarhol's formidable studio in New York in the 60s of Pop Art, where painting, cinema, songs, music, parties met, and therefore culture and joy, creation and sociality. The basic idea was to do us too, obviously much smaller, many different things, combining art, culture and socialising, to make people feel good in our space, always open to new proposals and ideas.
What are the activities you promote?
The activity with which we started, and which is still the most important, is painting: we organise courses with a very good teacher, the painter Sve Balach, but at the Factory you can also go to paint outside the courses, since you can find all the material you need: canvases, brushes, colours, etc.
Small conferences are also organised, the "Tales of the Factory" (which can be found on our Youtube channel Factory Dardano 44), we organise book presentations, we have inaugurated a reading club, we organise visits to museums, exhibitions and opera shows (in January 2026, Tosca in Florence!). We have also recently organised a conference on the landscape of our countryside, characterised by the presence of historic houses, called Leopoldine (by Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo of Tuscany who had them built on the occasion of the reclamation of the Valdichiana), followed by a visit to these buildings and a theatrical performance.
In addition to this kind of cultural initiatives, we are also in groups for social and recreational activities: we periodically go to clean the streets of the district, every week we are at the Alzheimer's Centre in Camucia to help patients paint, and on Monday evening at 9 we all meet to play Burraco! For November 23 we also organised a Burraco tournament, to which everyone can register.
How to support you and participate in your activities?
The activities mentioned above are open to everyone, everyone can participate freely. In 2024 we have established ourselves as a Social Promotion Association and many Expats have become our members and so they support us and actively participate in our initiatives. For example Ron, Ellen, Clare, Joe, Rosa, Thierry, Peter, Katharina, who are regulars of the Factory, help us by renewing the registration card annually. Others have the supporter card, and their contribution consists of a free offer for the Association and its activities.
What is the relationship with the expats who attend?
In most cases, a nice relationship of sympathy and collaboration was immediately created, so some expat friends, with great participation and affection, help us grow. An example: a few weeks ago two friends, Lea and Paul, who came to sing at the Factory last spring, gave us an amplification system, very nice and very useful for our initiatives. I believe that on the other hand the Factory can offer many expats an important key to become part of the Cortonese community, learning aspects of our history and our territory and weaving new relationships and convivial and friendly opportunities.
What are the future prospects?
The Factory will continue in the activities it currently carries out, but will try to increase initiatives that manage to realise what is our goal: to be together doing smart and useful things to improve each of us. In this direction, the presence of people who come from different countries for the Factory is certainly a great enrichment, both in terms of comparison with different mentalities and cultures, and for the innovative ideas, suggestions, proposals that can come, to do better and better, for the benefit of our old and new fellow citizens!
How can our friends support your activities?
The first invitation we address to them is to search for us on social media, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram (Factory Dardano 44); but above all you can come and visit us in our beautiful space in via Dardano 44, perhaps by contacting us in advance (both on social media and directly by phone or whatsapp at 3386606178); it will become easier to be informed and participate later in our activities. As mentioned, those who get to know us better and appreciate our commitment will then be able to contribute to our development, making the supporter card or even entering as an effective member.
La Factory is an open, welcoming, democratic place, where positivity and social and cultural growth are a common goal; we can achieve this result by using the constructive and friendly collaboration of as many people as possible. We are waiting for you!
