Locanda delle Fate are the great late bloomers of Italian progressive rock — a seven-piece from Asti whose sole 1977 album, “Forse le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più”, arrived just as the genre was fading, yet stands among its most beautiful and beloved records. Ornate, romantic and steeped in nostalgia, it is often called the swan song of classic RPI.

The short version

Formed in the mid-1970s, Locanda delle Fate were a “second-generation” Italian prog band, raised not on beat and blues but on the mature English prog of Genesis, Yes and King Crimson. Their only album of the era, “Forse le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più” (1977), is a lush, romantic masterpiece of twin guitars, twin keyboards and the soaring voice of Leonardo Sasso. Overlooked at the time but treasured ever since, it is one of the essential records of Italian prog.

Asti, the mid-1970s: a second-generation band

Locanda delle Fate took shape in Asti in the mid-1970s, growing out of a band that had long played covers before turning to original music. Unlike the first wave of Italian prog, whose roots lay in beat and blues, Locanda delle Fate were a “second generation” — their style modelled from the start on the already-mature English prog of King Crimson, Genesis, Gentle Giant and Yes. With the arrival of singer Leonardo Sasso in 1975, the seven-piece line-up was complete. Shunning live work, they shut themselves away for a year to compose and arrange, and on the strength of their demos — and the enthusiasm of producer Nico Papathanassiou, brother of Vangelis — recorded their album in 1977.

Ornate, romantic symphonic prog

Locanda delle Fate made some of the most richly arranged music in all of RPI. With two guitarists, two keyboardists, a bassist and a drummer, they wove a lush, intricate tapestry of piano, organ, synthesizer, electric and acoustic guitar and flute, delicate and dynamic by turns. Less bombastic and wild than the early-1970s Italian bands, theirs was a mellower, more romantic symphonic prog — sophisticated, melodic and dreamy, crowned by the remarkable voice of Leonardo Sasso, almost operatic in its strength yet deeply emotional. Above all, the music is suffused with nostalgia, a wistful, end-of-an-era beauty that sets it apart.

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Forse le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più

The band’s masterpiece, “Forse le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più” (“Maybe the Fireflies Don’t Love Each Other Anymore”, 1977), opens with the gorgeous instrumental “A Volte un Istante di Quiete” before unfolding across a series of lush, interlinked songs, from the long title track to the closing “Vendesi Saggezza”. Its aulic, cryptic, faintly naive lyrics and dreamy, nostalgic atmospheres give it a unique character among Italian prog albums. Sadly, it arrived too late: by 1977 punk and disco were on the rise and prog was in retreat, and the record went largely unnoticed despite warm reviews. In time, though, it has been recognised as one of the genre’s crowning achievements, spoken of alongside Banco’s “Io Sono Nato Libero” and Metamorfosi’s “Inferno” — and remembered as the swan song of classic RPI.

Album by album

One ornate, romantic masterpiece of late-period RPI. Tap the title for its guide.

The players and afterwards

Locanda delle Fate were a seven-piece: singer Leonardo Sasso, guitarists Ezio Vevey and Alberto Gaviglio (the latter also on flute), keyboardists Michele Conta and Oscar Mazzoglio, bassist Luciano Boero and drummer Giorgio Gardino. Disappointed by the lack of success and pressed by their label to soften their sound, the band released a couple of more commercial singles before disbanding in 1980. Decades later they reunited in various forms — recording a second album, returning to the stage, and revisiting their classic material — while bassist Luciano Boero told their story in a book. But it is the album of 1977 on which their reputation will always rest.

Where to start

There is only one album to start with, and it is essential: “Forse le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più” (1977). Give it time and its lush arrangements, dreamy atmospheres and beautiful vocals reveal one of the most rewarding records in all of Italian prog. For many listeners, it is not just a fine album but a personal favourite — and a perfect gateway to RPI.

Why they still matter

Locanda delle Fate matter for a single, extraordinary album. Arriving when the Italian prog movement was already in decline, they nonetheless produced one of its most beautiful and enduring works — a lush, romantic, nostalgia-soaked masterpiece that captures the very feeling of an era drawing to a close. That they did so as latecomers, modelling themselves on the English masters yet sounding wholly Italian, only adds to its poignancy. For anyone exploring RPI, “Forse le Lucciole Non Si Amano Più” is unmissable, and Locanda delle Fate one of its best-loved names.

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