It all began in 1972!
Camping Calenella was founded in 1972 following the conversion of a livestock farm into a hospitality facility. At the time, this transformation raised some doubts, but over the years it proved to be a fortunate choice. It became an extraordinary adventure that we embraced with great enthusiasm, always remaining faithful to the natural environment and never allowing ourselves to be driven too much by the logic of commercial enterprise.
Over time we have improved and adapted our facilities and internal organization, always careful not to betray the identity of this place, so that the spirit of Calenella, the pleasure of human relationships and the scent of this pine forest would remain the same as they have always been.
“And be thankful that I exist, because I am a multitude.”
Andrea Pazienza, from: “The Extraordinary Adventures of Pentothal” – Fandango
Andrea Pazienza was one of the most representative and innovative comic artists of his generation, and his works have been the subject of exhibitions and important recognitions. With him we experienced beautiful and unforgettable years, years in which the campsite always remained a meeting point for our friendship. He also created our very first poster.
“Old Paz”, as the young people of Montepulciano used to call him, was the artist who revolutionised the world of Italian comics. He boldly challenged the artistic stereotypes of his time, elevating his drawings and stories to the level of literature. In his works he managed to combine the most diverse and contrasting emotions, from pain to joy, from melancholy to tenderness, from anger to irony.
In 1977 his first major comic work appeared, “The Extraordinary Adventures of Pentothal”, a tribute to youth, imagination and desire, inspired by the left-wing protest movements of those years. Later he collaborated with some of the most brilliant artists of the period, with the Roman satirical magazine “Il Male”, and in 1980 he founded “Frigidaire”, a monthly magazine where the irreverent character Massimo Zanardi first appeared, followed by the equally well-known Francesco Stella and “The Nameless Detective”.
He was not only a comic artist, but also the author of advertising campaigns, theatre scenography, record covers and film posters, including the poster for Fellini’s film “City of Women”.
Andrea Pazienza died in 1988 at the age of only 32 in Montepulciano, at the height of his popularity and creative inspiration, a victim of the fragility he portrayed so tragically and poetically in one of his most beautiful works: “The Last Days of Pompeo”.
Andrea deeply loved Calenella Camping Village and the Gargano, and all the sketches, drawings and illustrations he left us remain a precious testimony of this bond.
Some of the recognitions we have received in recent years
