The first steps which then led to the current event known as the “International Iron Biennial” were taken in 1976 thanks to the initiative of Pier Luigi Della Bordella, the Arezzo antique dealer Ivan Bruschi and the then mayor of Stia Vittoriano Frulloni. An exhibition market of handcrafted wrought iron objects was organized and set up in Piazza Tanucci di Stia, which for the first two editions took place annually and then, immediately after, every two years given the demanding organizational and financial commitment.
Over time, the event has been enriched with many other collateral initiatives, opened to international participation, revised in its structure, and finally has also been hosted in a new location inside the vaulted hall of the ancient Stia wool mill, and has taken the name of “Woolen mill, an empty space, a generator of ideas“. It is presented as an invitation and an opportunity for blacksmiths from all over the world to express their creativity through the art of forging. They can find within the exhibition a privileged showcase, a meeting point, an opportunity of comparison and of visibility to a broad, diverse audience, inclusive of external experts and stakeholders.
Participation is open to all artists, professionals, craftsmen, or blacksmith art enthusiasts who can participate by presenting both finished works and objects and sketches and projects, expressions of originality, creativity, and innovation.
