RUGGIERO DI LOLLO : BIOGRAPHY

1943 Ruggiero Di Lollo was born on 9^th June in Agnone (Molise).

1953 He paints his first watercolour pictures.

1954 He attends Vocational School, then Technical Industrial Secondary School, specializing in Mechanics. Studying wood, metals and use of machinery enables him to get acquainted with materials and acquire the skill to use them, which proved useful for him during the preliminary stages of his sculptures.

1959 He studies privately to be accepted at Secondary Art School in Rome where he moves. His teachers include Afro, Capogrossi and Turcato. He shows a great interest in the cultural environment of the capital which is very lively in these years.

1963 He attends the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, where Mino Maccari teaches him the techniques for engraving. In this period he takes part in various public exhibitions. In the summer he works in Agnone where he paints mountain scenes. He meets the doctor-poet Camillo Carlomagno with whom he establishes a rewarding artistic harmony, especially with regards to Franciscan subjects. The following works belong to this period: 12 large coloured ink pictures that describe the "Cantico delle Creature" (Song of Creatures) (now conserved in the Convent of Capuchin Fathers in Agnone), 184 coloured ink pictures for Carlomagno's book "Pellegrino in Terra Santa" (A Pilgrim in the Holy Land), a plaster cast sculpture "Venere che nasce dalle acque con le conchiglie" (Venus born from the waters with seashells) and some pictures inspired by his poems.

1965 He paints a series of pictures inspired by natural phenomena. In Rome he discovers the artistic avant-gardes of those years, regularly visiting museums and also modern and contemporary art galleries. He exhibits his works at the "Palazzo delle Esposizioni" Art Gallery in Rome.

1966 His black ink pictures for Camillo Carlomagno's book "La Vetta" (The Summit) belong to

this year.

1967 He graduates from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. He travels around Greece to see for himself the true masterpieces of our origins and the Places where they were born.

1968 He experiments with new painting materials, using plastic instead of colours and then he uses nitro-colours on marino plywood panels which can be joined together in large dimensions.

1969 He paints his first nitro-on-metal panels which can also be joined together in large dimensions. He publishes his book "Rapidi segni sull'arte" (Rapid signs on art).

1970 He does his Military Service as a common soldier at the Military Prison in Gaeta. He continues his pictorial research until he succeeds in reducing his shapes to mere horizontal lines, with extreme compositive austerity.

1971 He exhibits his nitro-on-metal panels and his plastic art for the first time at the "La Nuova Loggia" Art Gallery in Bologna with an introduction to his catalogue written by Filiberto Menna. He travels around Italy, France, Austria and the Federal Republic of Germany, taking photos of the most important architectural works of art. He meets the writer and translator Angelo Maria Pellegrino who is to help him a great deal to discover the origins of classical Mediterranean culture.

1972 He is more and more attracted by the Mediterranean and so he travels around Spain to discover its art, folklore and nature.

1973 Private exhibition at the "La Sfinge" Art Gallery, in Formia with an introduction to his catalogue by Sergio Marconi.

1974 The search for new materials leads him to use nitro-colours on stainless steel. Private exhibition at the “Artivisive” Art Gallery in Rome, with an introduction to his catalogue by Italo Mussa. Private exhibition at the “Palazzo della Secessione” in Vienna, with an introduction to his catalogue by Filiberto Menna, Italo Mussa and Walter Zetti. One of his works is permanently exhibited at the Modern Art Gallery in Vienna

1975 Private exhibitions at: the “Garuggio” Art Gallery in Bergamo with an introduction to his catalogue by Arturo Bovi; “La Piazzetta” Art Gallery in Rome; the “Centrosei” Art Gallery in Bari; the “BU-CO” Art Gallery in Caserta; the “Traniello Palace” in Gaeta. He meets the writer Goliarda Sapenza, wife and friend of Angelo Maria Pellegrino with whom he establishes a great, friendly and cultural relationship.

1976 He travels to the islands of Ponza and Palmarola. The latter becomes an annual destination

for his colours and his silences full of sounds. Palmarola is to give him inspiration for many of his paintings.

1977 He travels around most of the Mediterranean aboard the "Hobo" and he visits the Aeolian

islands. His desire for the odours of oil colours encourages him to return to oil painting and

he paints "Trasparenza a Palmarola" (Transparency at Palmarola) best known as "Palmarolino" which takes him about two years to finish. Thalassa publishes "Il segreto di Palmarola" (The secret of Palmarola) written by Angelo Maria Pellegrino and illustrated by Ruggiero Di Lollo. He meets Isa Bartalini and Andrea Gaggero.

1978 He travels around the Turkish Aegean as far as the Black Sea, enriching himself with new

emotions and subjects for his pictures. This year he meets the poet Ignazion Buttitta and he organizes a recital in the square of Gaeta for Ignazio Buttitta, the poet Tommaso Giacobbe and the ballad singer Nonò Salomone.

1979 He organizes an exhibition in the garden of his home to show his works of this year. This Fontania celebration, an occasion for people from the Cultural and Art world to meet, becomes an annual event.

1980 He starts working on 6 large canvas pictures dedicated to "Inno della Terra" (Hymn to the

Earth). Anthological exhibition at the Sports Stadium in Agnone; Private exhibition at the Cultural Historical Centre in Gaeta.

1981 He begins working on 64 large canvas paintings dedicated to the "Cantico dei Cantici"

(Songs of Songs) which is to take him four whole years to complete.

1984 He finishes his work on the "Cantico dei Cantici" (Song of Songs). Anthological Exhibition on the island of Ponza. Drawing exhibition at the "La Tartana" Art Gallery in Gaeta.

1986 After being abandoned for over 20 years, the Sorresca Church in Gaeta is reopened to exhibit the "Cantico delle Creature" (Song of Creatures).

1987 Private exhibitions at: the "Circolo Sannitico" in Campobasso; the Sports Stadium in Agnone; the Sports Stadium in Gaeta.

1989 He exhibits the "Cantico dei Cantici" (Song of Songs) at the "Palazzo San Francesco" in Agnone.

1990 He creates the "gruppo Monumentale a Padre Pio" (Monumental Group dedicated to Father

Pio) for the town of Larino (Campobasso). The work is carried out in the Sorresca Church in Gaeta. In the same year, he models the trophy "La 'Ndocciata" for Christmas Eve in Agnone and some portraits including those of the writer Goliardo Sapienza, the writer-poet Rodolfo Di Biasio, Francesco Neri and others. He makes a sketch of the monument "San Francesco e gli uccellli" (St. Francis and the birds) and a series of cats too.

1991 The "Percorsi" exhibition at the "Emicla" Art Gallery in Gaeta. He starts a series of journeys to the Greek islands, visiting most of the Cyclades, the Sporades and the Dodecanese. He creates the sketch for the "Monument to Immigrants" in Agnone. He creates the sculptures "Liberiamo la pace" (Let us free Peace), “La Testa di Padre Pio" (Father Pio’s Head), “Il Ritratto di mia madre Ersilia” (My mother Ersilia’s portrait).

1992 He creates the sketch “Monumento al Pastore” (Monument to the Shepherd).

1993 He creates the melted-wax bronze sculpture “Il Cormorano di Saddam Hussein” (Saddam Hussein’s cormorant).

1995 The Truglia Tower on the rocks of Sperlonga is reopened after being abandoned for a long time and he exhibits his sea paintings with an introduction written by Francesco Moschini and Rodolfo Di Biasio.

1996 The Publisher "Caramanica" of Marina di Minturno publishes his Art Book "Cantico dei Cantici" (Song of Songs) with an introduction by Sergio Quinzio, Giuseppe Neri and Luigi Falasca, and a translation from Latin by Rodolfo Di Biasio. As an Official Gift, the region of Molise gives Pope John-Paul II a copy of "La 'Ndocciata" Trophy, a melted-wax bronze sculpture dipped in gold and silver on the occasion of the 'Ndocciata in St. Peter's Square on 8^th December 1996.

1997 He creates his sketch "San Francesco e gli uccelli" (St. Francis and the birds). Anthological

exhibition in the Convent of the Philippine Fathers in Agnone.

1998 Exhibitions on the islands of Ponza and Palmarola.

2000 He creates the "Monumento agli Emigrati" (Monument to Immigrants) in melted-wax

bronze for the town of Agnone (Molise). He creates "Il Busto di Padre Pio" (Bust of Father Pio) for the citadel of Father Pio at Sessano in Molise.

2001 He creates "Il Busto di Padre Carmelo di Sessano" (Bust of Father Carmelo of Sessano) for

the citadel of Father Pio at Sessano in Molise.

2002 He creates the bronze bas-relief of the " 'Ndocciata"

2003 He created the "Monumento ai Ragazzi di San Giuliano di Puglia" (Monument to the young people of San Giuliano in Puglia) and the sculpture "Guerriero Sannita" (Samnite Warrior). He creates large-size canvas paintings, including round and oval ones.

2004 Exhibition "Il Mare" (The Sea) at the Svevo Castle in Termoli.

Ruggiero Di Lollo lives and works in Gaeta on Monte Ercole (Mount Hercules).