Not so far in time, families were used to spend the nights around the fireplace, sharing tales. It was the moment when memories, tales and novels were passed down.
Today we’d like to reach you too via pc or smartphone, looking forward to the moment we’ll be able to look again together at the panorama from the belvedere of Silvi.
At that time, the village was inhabited almost exclusively by fishermen. At night, men went down to the coastside and sailed aboard the lancette, little sailing boats that were traditional in Silvi. Each family had its own sail, with its own symbol: it distinguished its boat among many others. And so, every day, fathers and sons went toward the horizon before the sun had set, lighting up the sky.
Women remained in the village, often with a towel on its head, busied with the housework. The lapping of the laundress, the good smell of moka and tomato sauce and their voices filled the alleys, until they saw the sails coming back from the horizon.
So they run to the loggia, the place in front of the belvedere to spot their family’s sail. They whistled and screamed, each woman her way to be recognized by her men. Then, the women walked down to the shore to help men picking the nets up and selling the fish.
It’s a romantic lost image of a so many years old Silvi.
These precious memories make our community, our history, our culture. These stories are the very heart of the identity of Silvi.
Who’s still passing these tales down? Our elderly. They remember where do we come from, so we can understand where to go.
In these days of emergency, grandparents are the most fragile. That’s why we want to share their tales: because protecting these people we’re protecting our own identity.