Camila Basso Castillo

"*A volte è difficile accettare le cose che capitano, ma un momento vissuto con il cuore vale mille lacrime soffrendo. La libertà di espressione, è una legge con cui la Democrazia sorge e cade.*"
—Camila Basso Castillo

Camila Basso Castillo artist from Vernazza.

## **Biography**

Sunny, smiling, sweet, kind, empathic, caring, strong, determined, intelligent and insightful girl, Camila Basso Castillo was born in Barcelona on August 14, 1991. She attended kindergarten and elementary school in Vernazza, which surrounded by radiant nature of those enchanted places, she spends her time immersed in the panorama of the sea and the hills, thus expanding her figure as an artist. Enrolling in classical dance, she attended the Jean Piaget middle school in La Spezia, and then moved on to classical high school Lorenzo Costa.

Noticing that the setting of the classical high school was far too rigid with regard to the artistic thoughts that were developing in her, Camila thus decided to move on to the Cardarelli artistic high school in La Spezia. At the same time as her studies, Camila helps run the family bar called: "Blue Marlin".

Literature Lover and art in general, Camila paints and draws various works, participating in the project together with her 5b class "Una matita per i bambini cileni", idealized by the Cardarelli Artistic High School and promoted by the Provincial Department of International Cooperation, together to the Weni Onlus Association and sponsored by the companies ATC and Boero Colori.

## **Works**

Camila paints various artistic works in the school period at the Cardarelli Artistic High School, showing a greater interest in painting and in the artistic world of drawing. Thus expressing her ideas on paper, she creates paintings with symbolic meanings linked to certain expressions of freedom, with certain aspects of rebellion linked to today's society.

She thus tries to free itself from certain monotonous and repetitive aspects that life imposes in a so-called "modernized" society, trying to free the wings of imagination and fantasy, in a world in continuous movement and always dynamic, thus managing to realize works unrelated to time.

## **Dedications**

On 26 January 2010, the Municipality of Lerici, together with the Castle Museum and the Cardarelli Artistic High School, refurbish a neglected space in the town on the Gulf. The students of Professors Eliseo Andriolo and Barbara Pedemonte, together with the classes 5°B and 5°C, reinterpret famous works by countless artists, retracing the stages of world art with a tribute to the landscape of the Gulf. In every famous painting the silhouette of the Castle is inserted, in a particular space a work is destined which for everyone has an immense value.

Professor Andreotti, coordinator of the 5°B, and Professor Andriolo, decide to gather Camila's projects in her school archive to bring them back to life. In fact, every classmate has adopted her partner's studies and sketches, the ideas and intuitions that have accumulated in her briefcase. The group of friends reinterpreted them, thus composing in a long panel with a signing and a short poem. On February 11, 2012, the Cardarelli Artistic High School dedicated the name of the library to Camila. On March 13, 2014, a review was organized with the name: "il mare come ponte" in memory of Camila.

The title of the initiative comes from the large painting that is placed in the school library; which depicts the sea as a variegated bridge, at the very close ends of which stands the Sagrada Familia of Barcelona on one side, and the church of Vernazza on the other. Above the sea, the beautiful face of Cami hovers smiling. Together with many other Vernazzesi and friends, even a classmate of his from high school: "Daniele Bonini" dedicates a drawing with her depicted to Camila.

Camila's paintings remained in the castle of Lerici until 2016. After a heated debate by friends and relatives of Cami, over 300 signatures gathered to try to leave them in the aforementioned place. After various vicissitudes the municipality of Lerici decided to remove the paintings from the castle. Subsequently they were recovered, restored and placed in some schools in the area, exhibited in public buildings, experienced as kids to keep their memory.

In 2015 Federico Carro publishes his first song, subsequently creating a music video entitled: "Come un Lampo" dedicating it to Cami, in memory of his image which is compared to lightning, like energy that remains in the heart of those who remember her and will never stop pulsing. Subsequently the author dedicates to the girl in his book of poems: "Scintille di Vita la Forza della Natura" the following reflection with attached poem dedicated to Cami:

## **Dedication**

Per molte persone la mia prima canzone: “Come un Lampo” può

nascondere solo un pensiero di perdita, ma invece non molti sanno

che il lampo di per sé è vita, è una concretezza astratta e dinamica

che appare e scompare ma che è sempre presente, vivida e splendente.

Il lampo è una forza di vita, è pura energia e vitalità.

Però se all’epoca affrontai tale evento avvolto da una sfera oscura e

dall’ombra del vento a circondarmi i pensieri,

è perché semplicemente quando vediamo una parete oscura

è perché non pensiamo mai al fatto che vi è l’altro lato della medaglia,

in questo caso la luce!

Quindi è giusto affrontare la vita sia nel buio della propria

oscurità, ma anche camminare nella luce di certe scelte tratte dal

destino che, come in questo caso che espongo qui di seguito, voglio

che sia il lato della luce la parte predominante fra le due fazioni.

Come un Lampo divide di per sé due mondi, la parte precedente in

luce, mentre la parte di destra (ossia quella successiva!) in oscurità,

ma non voglio che si possa solo ricordare un tragico evento in

maniera negativa, e non invece la persona in maniera che rimanga

per l’appunto in una luce splendente all’’interno del cuore e

nell’anima, per questo che ho voluto riprendere la poesia Come un

Lampo e ricreare così una nuova poesia che possa dar luce alla

meravigliosa persona che era (e che per me è, e che sarà!) C.B.C.

## **Poetry**

Un meraviglioso fiore al sole,

costellata di gioiose parole,

dolce e raggiante allo stesso tempo,

come mille sirene in un arcobaleno,

determinata e splendente,

come la sua bellezza lucente,

sempre solare e gentile,

con coloro che sono oltre al pontile,

“aspettami”

Mi dicesti quel giorno,

una soave voce come un incanto,

raggiante e vivace come quel momento

che mi eri accanto,

un angelo mi apparve in volto,

come mille spiragli di sole benaccolto,

nel mio animo circonflesso e raccolto,

dal tuo sorriso lucente intriso di gioia,

come una luce di speranza nel cuore di chi ti ascolta.

## References

this page was lastly reviewd on 15-09-20231. ↑ https://vernazza.fandom.com/it/wiki/Camila\_Basso\_Castillo
2. ↑ https://www.liceocosta.edu.it
3. ↑ https://www.istitutocardarelli.edu.it
4. ↑ https://visitvernazza.org/tour-item/blue-marlin-bar/
5. ↑ https://istitutocardarellilaspezia.blogspot.com/2009/05/un-autobus-per-il-cile-edizione-2009.html
6. ↑ https://istitutocardarellilaspezia.blogspot.com/2010/01/mostra-del-liceo-artistico-lerici-il.html
7. ↑ https://istitutocardarellilaspezia.blogspot.com/2012/02/
8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk4XYwdZZ7yiJupn8OKWSlw