Emily Caccamo
Fuoritema, founded in 2012, hosts jam sessions, spoken word poetry and other cultural events in Urbino [Photo: Kathryn Talley]
URBINO, ITALY — On a warm July evening, a large crowd of people share drinks and laughs along the narrow cobblestone streets outside a nondescript bar a short walk from Piazza della Repubblica.
Inside this curious establishment, a bright pink LED sign reading “this must be the place” illuminates a vintage record player, a makeshift stage and a black and white checkerboard ceiling. This modern multi-room bar is Fuoritema, a hub for young musicians, poets and other artists — and it’s one of the few welcoming spaces in Urbino where creatives can come to artistically express themselves.
“My philosophy is that art can elevate, beautify and add value,” said Fuoritema’s owner and music festival promoter, Alessandro Manenti. “Because Urbino is a secluded town, it lacks a place where people can actually discover a passion for art in all its forms, be it music, photography, or theater.”
Fuoritema, which first opened in 2012, hosts concerts, slam poetry readings, stand-up comedy nights and jam sessions. The bar’s name, which in Italian translates to “off topic,” is a fitting moniker, given the apparent lack of bohemian, artist-forward pubs in the small walled city.
“I was studying at the time and I thought it was a good path to follow to give me the opportunity to work in the specific cultural field I was passionate about and to promote original cultural events,” said Manenti, 35.
When Manenti took ownership of Fuoritema in 2014, he quickly got to work reimagining the space as an artist’s oasis.
“Promoting cultural events has been a passion of mine basically forever,” Manenti said. “Even when I was studying psychology I wanted to be able to focus on promoting cultural events, specifically education, through events. Fuoritema is a path to do what I have always wanted to do…create an organization to promote these events.”
Before Manenti took ownership of the bar, it solely showcased emerging musicians, including now-notable Italian artists such as Calcutta and Gazzelle, in the early stages of their careers.
“My philosophy is that art can elevate, beautify and add value to people,” said Fuoritema’s 35-year-old owner, Alessandro Manenti. [Photo: Kate Talley]
Fuoritema has since become more inclusive, offering its stage to amateur musicians and expanding its event roster. In 2018 however, the bar truly hit its stride with the unexpected birth of regular jam sessions, where musicians gather at the bar to improvise and create.
“A group of guys living in Urbino started playing outside in the streets and then the police came because they were too noisy,” Manenti said. “One day this group of guys came into the Fuoretima and started speaking about this incident.”
Current municipal bylaws, Manenti said, prohibit musicians from openly congregating and playing instruments in the streets of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
“Before in Urbino there were more spaces for horizontal artistic expression, even the piazza was a free socialization space,” Manenti added. “Right now these spaces are governed by rules and laws that prevent that.”
So, the Urbino bar owner had an epiphany — he would grant the scrappy group of street musicians safe harbor in the form of a stage. From then on, Fuoritema would hold weekly jam band sessions, inviting a diverse roster of musicians to its space to perform on a regular basis. Manenti now provides instruments for his weekly event, including guitars, a bass and drums.
Just as Manenti saw his vision starting to come to life, the coronavirus pandemic shuttered Fuoritema temporarily in 2020. During this tense and oddly quiet period, many of the performers that started the jam sessions graduated and or moved away. When Fuoritema reopened in 2021, Manenti was forced to start from scratch; many of the student musicians who helped form Fuoritema’s weekly jam sessions had mostly left Urbino. Today, Manenti now estimates that more than 50 musicians perform each week.
“Fuoritema breaks that barrier and closes the gap by giving performers a place, as well as the courage to be known by each other,” said 27-year-old sound technician, musician, and University of Urbino chemistry major, Michele Zordan. “It is beautiful because it creates connections between performers. Before the jam sessions, this community didn’t exist, that is the magic of the jam sessions.”
Zordan, who plays several instruments, including bass, guitar and the drums, is a member of the jam band Born by Chance. He explained that Fuoritema’s jam sessions have cultivated a community of talented performers, artists, singers and musicians. Before, Zordan said, many of the musicians in Urbino rarely interacted with one another.
Luca Remelli, a 23-year-old drummer and biology major at the University of Urbino, who frequently patronizes Fuoritema, agreed.
“One day when they were starting to do this jam session, someone in the bar commented that I had amazing energy and a beautiful personality and that I needed to perform,” said Remelli.
Fuoritema’s weekly jam sessions have cultivated a sense of community amongst
Urbino’s musicians. [Photo: Kate Talley]
Part of Manenti’s team goes to serve a glass of wine to an asking customer. [Photo: Kate Talley]
For Manenti, his dream is to one day found a non-profit organization to further his mission of reclaiming public spaces in Urbino for arts and culture events.
“Art is the best medium to socialize and express oneself,” said Manenti. “The goal is to take back a space for the students where they can grow and express themselves creatively as well as pass the project down through generations.”