Atelier Carigiet

From the village square in Schlans, a road leads down to Trun. The painter Alois Carigiet had a studio in Flutginas, a small hamlet on the edge of this road. Alois Carigiet (1902-1985) was undoubtedly one of the most popular painters of the entire century. His children's book illustrations, above all of course the character of “Schellenursli”, are known to millions of people in many parts of the world. After training as a decorative painter in Chur and working as a successful commercial artist in Zurich, Carigiet returned to his homeland. In the hamlet of Platenga on the terrace of Obersaxen, the artist found the peace and seclusion he needed. It was here that he developed his self-taught style of painting, which ultimately led to success. After a further stay in Zurich, the painter settled in Flutginas. He converted his mother's grandparents' house into a spacious studio.

Breathing in toxic fumes during his earlier work took a heavy toll on Carigiet's health. The painter also suffered from poor hearing throughout his life. He received visitors to his hermitage openly and with his characteristic warmth. He created his last works in Flutginas, always surrounded by his beloved Cadi landscape. Some traces of the great painter can be found above all in Trun. The stone fountain at the entrance to the village, the votive plaque in the pilgrimage church of Sta. Maria Licht, the façade paintings on various houses and the Stations of the Cross in the old people's home bear witness to Carigiet's attachment to his home village.

(Recorded by Regiun Surselva)