MURALES

The Way of Water

Work by Leonardo Cannistrà, 2024 mural 580×230 cm

The work is a tribute to the women of Santa Domenica Talao who in the past walked along a path to reach the “Cannidata” stream to do laundry and get water. Starting from Piazza Ortora, the ancient path wound along the eastern side of the hill reaching the stream that for centuries was the source of water for the town and which powered a series of stone mills along the valley. Near this stream there was also the ancient “Cannidata fountain”, from which flowed very fresh water much loved by Prince Spinelli of Scalea who, precisely because of the area’s wealth of water, decided to found the town in 1620. The rural path, called “U’ spìsatùru” (via Spesatoio) was crossed by men, women, mules and donkeys for centuries, representing the only existing way to reach the stream and the entire area to the east of the town. Starting in 1923, with the construction of the road, the path fell into disuse until it was completely abandoned around 1960. Since then, no one has walked this ancient rural path which disappeared, engulfed in vegetation. In 2022 the old “Spesatoio” path was reopened and made accessible again as a rural path with high landscape and historical-testimonial value, for sports walks and trekking. The Spesatoio trail is in fact the initial part of a hiking trail called “La via dell’acqua” (The Way of Water), a route of about 8 km that, starting from the village, leads to water sources that are very important for the history of Santa Domenica Talao: a stream, a small lake, fountains and rural springs, up to the spring located in Monte San Pietro which fed the first aqueduct of the town.
 

LA FICARA

Work of the “Giovanni Paolo II” Art High School – Maratea (Matteo Antonucci, Carolina Ielpo, Ada Orrico, Giulia Becchimanzi, Sofia Carla Prospato, Stefano Cauteruccio), 2024 mural 300×280 cm

The fig in the sunset light is my favorite philosopher.
(Fabrizio Caramagna)

The work is a tribute to one of the main products of the agriculture and typical gastronomy of Santa Domenica Talao. In the past, the cultivation and marketing of figs was flourishing, so much so that they represented one of the main sources of commercial wealth of the country. The tradition of transforming the product is still widely practiced, in particular with the creation of “crucette” and braids of dried figs cooked in the oven, stuffed with walnuts and cedar. Or the typical traditional dish, the “Scàhttijùoli”, a tasty side dish made with primitive figs in the month of May.

MEETING AT THE CREEK

Work of the Liceo Artistico “S. Lopiano” – Cetraro (Michelangelo Sabato, Manuel Carluccio, Aurora Cammarella, Gabriel Leprotti), 2024 mural 300×280 cm

The work represents a group of women washing clothes at the creek. In past centuries, the women of the village had to go to the “Cannidata” creek to do their laundry and this custom often turned into an opportunity for social aggregation, with entire families, mothers with children, neighbors who organized themselves to go and wash clothes at the creek. In an era of sociality experienced mainly on a virtual level, we wanted to remember an ancient practice of real sociality, when a daily toil activity was transformed into an opportunity for social life and community glue.

Project carried out in implementation of the Collaboration Agreement between the Department for Youth Policies and Universal Civil Service and the Calabria Region. – FPG year 2020

in collaboration with the S. Lopiano Art School of Cetraro (Cs) and the Giovanni Paolo II Art School of Maratea (Pz)