What an evening it must have been. And to be that proverbial fly on the wall! There, in that elegant hide-away villa by the shore of lake Geneva, with storm-clouds gathering from the surrounding dragon-toothed alpine mountains, enfolded by that sinister calm before the tempest breaks, was a band of exiled Brits with names that would resound for all time in the annals of romantic literature: Byron, mad, bad and dangerous to know, Shelley, advocate of atheism and revolution, Polidori, a scion of a family ejected in a previous century from Lucca for holding Protestant views, Mary, Shelley’s wife, beautiful, intellectual, passionate, daughter of a mother who had vindicated the rights of women but who had died of purpureal fever giving birth to her.

A challenge had been given to this intimate group of free-thinkers: during a night of presages, of perils, of weird forebodings where the haunting owl ‘s hoot became an antiphon to the illuminated shattering of thunder.

Each one was to write a ghost story.
And so it came to pass that two of the most horrific monsters continuing to inhabit our wildest imaginations today – the vampire and the zombie – were recreated through the pens of Polidori with his ‘The Vampyre’ and Mary with her ‘Frankenstein’.

Today a similar challenge has been set to a group of writer through the ‘Shelley Project’. For a day these authors will be isolated in Bagni di Lucca’s casino and required to write a ghost story in evocation of that fateful night spent at Lake Geneva just over two hundred years ago. Next year we will know what new ghostly monsters will have arisen from the teeming brains of these latter-day romantics to make us tremble with fear.

The project was introduced last night in the exquisite surroundings of Europe’s first purpose-built gambling den, Ponte a Serraglio’s Casino.. An elegant parade of period-costumed gentlemen, ladies and one dog entered the hall and were melodiously accompanied by a string quintet playing Boccherini.

The presentation of the Shelley project was followed by enacted scenes from the lives of the lake Geneva protagonists indispersed with a well – detailed account of their lives

.
Francesca Chiarantano was the presenter and Sauro Donati the artistic director. The Anonima Teatranti, the Società di Danza Circolo di Lucca and the Elisa Baciocchi String Quintet were the artistes.

The next Shelley project event will be on November 26th.

It was a great start and a truly fascinating one to the lives of a group of young glitterati who continue to enthrall today. And to think that we, and all those who live in the ancient thermal town of Bagni di Lucca, live in the same area where the Shelleys and Byron found delight in a wonderful ambience, enjoyed walks and relaxation among its chestnut forests and were inspired by the sublime scenery to write equally sublime works.

I will certainly look forwards to the results of the Shelley project and am prepared to face the ghosts, perils and monsters of the night in these ever-longer darknesses which forewarn of the freezing times facing us as we plunge into the unknown dangers of yet another winter.

Wait, wait! Who is behind that door which is opening without a noise of a footstep, There is no howling gale and we are all here together huddled round the fire. What unknown fiend is ready to enter our living room?

Oh. It’s only Carlotta our calico cat nuzzling her way in….