Page 30 - Luigi Pericle_Beyondthevisible PRESS REVIEW 2021.pdf

24Heures F.Baras 11-12May2019
Englishversion
LuigiPericle,thetreasurefalendownfrom thesky
Secludedandforgoten,thepainterhasleftinhishousemorethan6000artworkswhichhavebeentrackeddownbythenew owner. Thiseventhasalowedtorecolecttheunconventionaldestinyofthemysticfrom Asconasincethen
Thisstorycouldbeusedtofilm amovie.ApleasantoldfashionedhotelstandsoutamongtheblueLakeMaggiore,thegreenmountainandcanaryyelow sunumbrelas. Whenwasthis?DuringthefabulousSixtieswhenAsconawasenthusiasticaboutbeingconsideredtheSwisvoguishCroisette andalsothemysticoasishostingthe utopiancommunityofMonteVerità.From hereweneedtotakealeaptotheendof2016whentheownerofthehotelredeemedasmalhouseclosetohispremises wherethisstrangecharacterhadbeenliving:apainter,awriter,anastrologistandalsoaufologistwhowasquiteunknownandhaddiedfifteenyearsearlierwithout havinganyheirs.Theintrigue?Thebestoneever,sinceitisaboutthediscoveryofatreasure.
WhenAndreaBiasca-Caronitelsthisstory,hisstorylineoftenwandersinaldirections,heisstilamazedbythisquiteunexpectedcourseoflife:therenownedscenario startsfrom awintereveningwhenhevisitedLuigiPericle’shouse.Hewasalone,thesalesagreementtightlytuckedinhispocket.Thewel-dresedmanagerwasbornin Asconain1969.Hecomesfrom agoodfamilywhichownsthehotel.Thehotelbearsthesamenameasthelocation.ThankstohisstudiesinGenevaheisproficientin fourlanguagesandhasbeenmariedtoGretasince1999.Atthetimeofthediscoveryhehadjustwantedtopurchasethehouseandturnitintohisfamilyhome.Hehad alwaysknownithadbeenthedwelingofalovelybutalsoquiteenigmaticneighbour.«WhenIwasaboy,Iusedtothinkthismanwasintriguing.Peoplevoicedhehad beenstudyingastrology.So,whenIwasapproximately12IgotaslotmachinetoworkoutmyownhoroscopeandthendecidedtotakeittoPericle.Hewasextremely welcomingandgavemesomeadvice.Besidesthefacthewasapainter,Ididn'thavemuchinformationatalabouthim».
Whilethenew ownerwasgoingthroughthehalwhichhadbeencompletelyabandonedsincePericle’spasinginAugust2001,somethingcaughthiseye.Avolumeon thebookshelves.«ItwasacataloguebyPeterG.Staechelin,oneofthemainSwisscolectorsandartdealersofthelastcentury(in 2015 the Staechelin Foundation sold one of Gaugin’s painting - entitled “When will you marry?” - for 300 million US dollars which was the highest price ever for an artwork at that time ).Ileafedthroughit. Monet,Picasso,Manet,Cézanne,VanGoghand...Pericle!Icouldn'tbelieveit!(Now helaughs).Iimmediatelygrabbedmymobile:«Greta!»
T h e T ic in o g o v e rn m e n t h a d p re v io u s ly c o m e to a n a g re e m e n t a n d h a d d e c id e d th a t th e n e w p u rc h a s e r w o u ld h a v e b e e n in c h a rg e o f th e c le a r o u t. A s a m a t te r o f fa c t th is handedoverhundredsofartworkstreasuredinthehouse.
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