L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 3 S ome have considered it the result of an extraordinary work. Others have called it "the rebirth of a little gem". Nevertheless, what happened to Postignano, a medieval village in the Umbria region, is the exam- ple of how love for beauty and great commitment are the perfect mix to make things happen. Postignano is located twenty miles away from Assisi, on a wooded hill that gives visitors a breathtaking view of the land all around. The village is hidden in the National Park of Sibylline Mountains where people can enjoy different activities like rafting, trekking and mountain bike, but it is also one of the best places for culinary trips during which to taste pecorino cheese, black truffle, and boar meat. The village's history dates back to the 1000 AD when main- ly farmers and artisans used to live there. Nothing changed until the 20th century, when most peo- ple moved somewhere else: the village was abandoned because of the after war emigration and eventually left on its own in 1966 when, because of a land- slide, the latest families were gone. As it happened to many other borghi around Italy, Postignano was declared a cul- tural and historical site in 2002, but it took five more years before action was taken in order to save and preserve the village and its history. What happened in the last few years is part of an incredible story that helped Postignano live its "second life", thanks to the passion and the creativity of two Italian architects , G ennaro M atacena and M atteo S caramella. A s told by M r Scaramella in one of his inter- views to explain the idea behind the restoration, everything start- ed in 1992 when his colleague, Mr Matacena, was visiting the village and immediately fell in love with it: "The beauty of this place, considered an archetypi- cal Italian hill town by the Am er ican ar chitect Nor m an Carver, made me think of the uncertain future of many Italian borghi. At the same time, I start- ed feeding the hope of doing something that could have also helped other villages that are now abandoned" he s aid (artemagazine.it) That's why both architects decided to start buying every single house of the village, once they got them all the restoration began. However, luck was not on Postignano's side and, when an earthquake hit the area in 1997, all the existing buildings got affected and the restoration works stopped for another ten years. Mr Scaramella and Mr Matacena did not give up though and, in 2007, with the help of thirteen experts and the support of national institutions, they were able to restore all the sixty houses that gather around the tower and the church. The restoration of the houses went beyond the idea of only making them usable again: the project tried to keep the original aspect of the village and, at the same time, to match all the needs of modern living. The heritage was combined with all the com- forts such as heating floors, tele- phone, satellite and fiber optic Internet. What w as once a medieval village has turned now into a place where these new inhabitants want a break from urban rhythms and seek relax close to nature and art. This also give them the chance to live a full Italian experience, dining in a small local restaurant, check on the wine and olive oil produc- tions, doing cheese and sausage tasting. What the project brought up is also the possibility to build a new, unique community where not only Italians but also people from all over the world can con- nect and share their love for beauty, art, culture, history, food and wine. This idea is also a starting point and a new way to take the Italian borghi to a new, different, interesting splendor. New buyers can create their own style, start- ing by an existing environment: from furniture and materials, Village of Postignano, a medieval jewel restored to its original beauty SERENA PERFETTO Postignano is located near Assisi, on a wooded hill that gives visitors a breathtaking view of the land all around from fireplaces to coffered ceil- ings and exposed beams, every house represents people's soul surrounded by a special, unique atmosphere. As stated by Mr Scaramella, "The passion takes place in the authentic restora- tion of the most beautiful place. There are 22.000 villages in Italy, but it was highly motivat- ing to find out the untouched item s in the unique natur al envir onm ent and then to discover the frescoes of the 14th century in the chapel. "(soloum- bria.com) P os tignano has indeed become a place where people can relive both the rhythms and the atmospheres of central Italy, while they explore the village's spirit, the surrounding country- side by walking in nature, stop- ping for a coffee by the fire- place, and enjoying a good glass of wine from Umbria, tasting bread or pizza made locally. For all these reasons, the restoration is today considered more than just an architectural experiment: it turned to be the result of "a dream of bringing to life a jewel of extraordinary beauty." Postignano Castle, Umbria

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