La scacchiera sotto il Calicanto

Giovanni Lorusso presents the book The Chessboard Under the Calicanto. A book in which the world of chess meets literature, fairy tales, art, and the Belluno territory.

On Friday, October 9, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., at the Municipal Hall, the Municipality of Fonzaso, through the Civic Library, offers an event dedicated to children, their families, and all those who love stories, imagination, and discovery.

The protagonist of the meeting will be Giovanni Lorusso, author of The Chessboard Under the Calicanto - Tales and Illustrations, an original book in which the world of chess intersects with literature, fairy tales, art, and the Belluno territory.
Don't expect a classic manual entirely devoted to rules, moves, or strategies. The book rather arises from a strong desire to tell about chess through simple, curious, and engaging stories that can speak to both children and adults.

Within the pages of the volume, the chessboard becomes a true narrative world, populated by its most characteristic characters: kings, queens, bishops, knights, rooks, and pawns. The chess pieces take on new meanings and become protagonists of adventures, curious situations, and stories capable of uniting pure entertainment with deeper reflection.

Some famous fairy tales from tradition are reinterpreted in a chess-themed way.
Such is the case of Little Thumb, who in his adventure must face the ogre not with strength but through a game of chess: a thrilling challenge in which intelligence, reasoning, and the ability to find solutions become more important than physical strength.
Even Pinocchio is reinterpreted through the language of the chessboard, offering readers an innovative and surprising way to meet a famous character.

Another significant aspect of the volume is its close link with the Belluno territory. The stories are accompanied by numerous illustrations created by local artists, often set in or inspired by places, landscapes, and atmospheres of the province. Many authors and artists collaborated in the creation of the work, each contributing to the development of individual tales, texts, or illustrations.
An opportunity to get to know the book and its author more closely, listen to some of the stories it contains, and discover how a simple chessboard can become the starting point for fantastic journeys, adventures, and the development of new ideas.