CREATIVE RESIDENCY

On Good Friday in 2023, we opened a creative residency dedicated to the memory of the following Estonian artists: Malle Leis (1940–2017); Villu Jõgeva (1940–2019); and Andrus Joonas (1970–2021). The residency was named after a painting called Road to a Lost City  by Andrus Joonas. We attached an Italian-language sign to the wall of house in Molini di Triora, a medieval mountain village, where we had bought an apartment six weeks earlier. The “we” in this case were Malle Leis’s and Villu Jõgeva’s heirs, as well as Sandra Jõgeva and art collector Triinu Keskpaik, who is an emergency medicine physician and lecturer.

The 80-square-metre, three-room apartment with a kitchen, large bathroom and two balconies is located in the heart of the medieval mountain village of Molini di Triora with a view of the picturesque mountains, which is located in the province of Imperia, Liguria, Northern Italy.

The residency is intended for creative work and isolation.  No restrictions have been placed on the profession of the creative candidates, but it should be emphasised that there is no separate studio space for painting, for example.

However, the apartment can be temporarily reorganised if it restored to its original condition at the end of the residency. Since there a many residencies in the world intended for artists and writers, we encourage the representatives of other profession, who have been ignored to some degree, to apply.

The residency is perfect, for example, for filmmakers who are reviewing their material, editing or writing a script. The apartment includes a living room, a larger and smaller bedroom, and kitchen. There are all two balconies with views of the hills and village. All the windows also have the same views.

There is an automatic pellet stove, gas radiators, and an electric radiator in the smaller bedroom. There is a gas stove, washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator in the kitchen. The bathroom has a shower stall and a gas boiler. The apartment is furnished and equipped with almost everything needed for everyday life. A small collection of works by Malle Leis and Andrus Joonas is displayed on the walls, and voluminous catalogues of these artists’ works are also available for browsing.

A local village store, another grocery store, two coffee shops, a tobacconist, a post office, local government, one restaurant, a bakery and a hotel, and even two real estate agencies, which open very early, are located only a few minutes from the apartment. There is also a local pizzeria. Coffee (all kinds!) costs one euro when drinking outside, and the general price level in Liguria is lower than in Estonia.

About Molini di Triora and the environs

It is a medieval village located in the mountains about 30 km from the Italian Riviera. At one time, there were more than twenty windmills there, which is hard to believe when looking at the current semi-dried riverbed. Actually, the river was destroyed by a landslide just a few years ago. The locals use the surrounding forests to gather mushrooms and for hunting. The village includes a mountain cemetery, post office, pharmacy, two grocery stores, and a bakery. There are also five restaurants that include the Diva pizzeria that is open at night, Gallo Nero, a stylish and well-known village tavern with extremely high scores on an international travel portal, as well as Santo Spirito, the very respectable local hotel restaurant established in 1870s, that serves modern versions of Ligurian specialities. The last three are located on the Piazza Roma, the local central square, where you will also find the municipal building and the post office. There are also three more churches and a library in the village of Molini di Triora.

Together with the famous Triora "village of witches" located 5 kilometres away (about a hundred years ago, Triora and Molini di Triora, i.e., the mills of Triora formed one administrative unit), they share the honour of being the birthplace of Saint Giovanni Lantrua, who was born in 1760 and died a martyr's death in China in 1816. Triora with its witch theme is the largest local tourist attraction.

Located an additional 300 metres above sea level compared to Molini di Triora, the viewing platforms in Triora provide even more breathtaking views. In addition to a surviving medieval fortress, as well as two museums dedicated to ethnography and witchcraft, there is also lots of kitsch related to witches and magic to be found. The reason is simple -- the last witch trials in Italy took place in Triora in the middle of the 16th century.

The nearest towns on the coast include the provincial capital Imperia, which developed from old fishing villages. A fun and authentic place to walk, and my favourite area of ​​Imperia, is Oneglia. It is also the oldest part of the town where one can people-watch in an outdoor bar or cafe in the port area.

About the same distance from Molini di Triora, i.e. 30 kilometres, there is San Remo, a more touristic village with its shopping street and pleasant, but usually paid beaches.

The village of Arma di Taggia, which is 24 kilometres away, is also an important feature on the beach. A free beach here, as I understand it, is one where you can rent a sun umbrella for two for €6, instead of €10 to €15 for a lounge chair and umbrella, as well as the use of a shower and toilet, changing cabins and the possibility of storing your belongings in a locker. For those willing to pay a beach fee, we would recommend the Vittoria Beach in Arma di Taggia and Baia Grecat in San Remo.

The nearest airport is Nice (84 km), which is accessible by train from San Remo (three buses a day travel there and to Imperia from Molini di Triora) or you can hire a local driver to take you there for €150.

Sergio's number, as well as for the home delivery of pellets, is posted on the wall in the apartment. An Uber from Nice to Molini di Triora costs around €180.

For more information: sandrajogeva@gmail.com