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Castiglione di Otranto, 29-31 August 2022
Necessaria. Dissidente. Di lotta e poesia. The Notte Verde of Castiglione d’Otranto returns with this mission: to never bend to the logic of economic, cultural or social opportunism. After two editions in a reduced format due to the pandemic, this 11th edition is meant to recall the spirit of the first edition in 2012, which was created as a grand celebration of rural and environmental themes – an alternative to the ever-more-common “notti bianche,” local fairs that left behind only seas of garbage andreally no message at all.
As a response to this, our low impact gathering continues to be an official Ecofest, one that is also inclusive, with services and planning dedicated to participants with disabilities, children, the elderly, young families and expectant mothers.
All of this flows from a single vision: to bring attention to the small, the beautiful, and the just in our communities, which resists in a territory that is continually deformed by the logic of power and economics that abuses the land and its people. The goal is to shed new light, create connections, and improve accessibility for all, creating an alternative world, an alternative Salento. Everyone – no one excluded – must be made aware of what is happening here and beyond, in order to comprehend the challenges and the positivity required for building new, untraveled paths of resistance.
The Notte Verde returns to the historic center of Castiglione d’Otranto, a village in the town of Andrano, extending, as is tradition, late into the night of August 31st and preceded by two days of festivities, the 29th and 30th of August, which allow the necessary time for in depth discussions and exchange.
This 11th edition is characterized by a deisre to expand beyong our national borders, a challenge made possible thanks to the Confederacy of Villages project, which put Castiglione in contact with other rural European realities, raising awareness on themes of transational interest, focused through the lens of local experience.
As a counter to such a wide-reaching scope we also felt the need to recognize the grandparents of the Auser Ponte Andrano-Castiglione elderly association with the role of honorary presidency for the 2022 edition. Always by our side, these extraordinary community organizers are the heart and soul of the Notte Verde spirit that we try to cultivate every day of the year: with the hoe, with the pen, with kindness and with coherence.
La Notte Verde 2022 is curated by the Casa delle Agriculture Tullia e Gino and the Casa delle Agriculture farming cooperative, with financing from the town of Andrano, in collaboration with: the Parco regionale costa Otranto-S. M. Leuca-Bosco di Tricase, Confederacy of villages, Gus-Gruppo Umana Solidarietà, Cooperativa Girolomoni, COSPE Onlus, Riabitare l’Italia, Messapia Style, Ecoversities Alliance among countless other organizations and volunteer groups. Media partners: Terra Nuova Edizioni and Mondoradio.
The event is part of the “È fatto giorno” project, winner of “Bellezza e legalità per una Puglia libera dalle mafie” financing from the Puglia Region, as well as the "Confederacy of Villages", of Creative Europe.
Notte Verde is an “Ecoparty” with low environmental impact.
Designed to be inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities, for the elderly, young families and expectant mothers, Casa delle Agriculture has reduced architectural impediments in town and has adopted the “Notte Verde: friends of autism” protocol. Additionally reserved parking is guaranteed near the event grounds, along with dedicated restrooms, a nursery and baby changing area (housed by the local elementary school), accessibility maps, a menu for celiacs (31 August, on Strada del ponte generazionale), braille menus and “zero wait time” service at concessions. There will also be menus for vegetarians and vegans, as well as a free wheelchair rental service available by reservation.
Info: +39 328/546 9804, +39 348/564 9772; fb- Casa delle Agriculture Tullia e Gino; Ig- Casa delle Agriculture; www.casadelleagriculturetulliaegino.com
LA NOTTE VERDE 2022 DEDICATED TO PIER PAOLO PASOLINI
La Notte Verde 2022 is dedicated to Pier Paolo Pasolini, born 100 years ago, who in the 1960’s had the most lucid and critical view of what he called the “end of the world,” that of rural and farming life, which took place during Italy’s economic miracle. Undoubtedly the life of the lower and middle classes improved, but at the cost of warping “the conscience of the Italian people, reaching an irreversible breakdown (PASOLINI 1975).” In his writings, Pasolini spoke of a rural Italy swept away by historic events and a reckless process of industrialization, which, according to the writer, passed enormous power in secret to industrial potentates, organized crime, terrorist organization. It also deviated sections of the State apparatus, backed by an unscrupulous ruling class, which bowed to the logic of profit over all. Pasolini, in his testament Petrolio, was also among the first to denounce the destruction of the environment and rural landscapes already taking place, a polluted and denatured environmental inheritance continued today in modern productive practices, the very same for which we continue to pay the consequences.
La Notte Verde for Children
Workshops, shows and games, all free of charge (info and reservations: +39 329/4066530). At 8pm each evening there is also a locally sourced meal created just for kids!
29 AUGUST
5:30-7:15pm – WORKSHOP - “Fuoco e Fiamme!” Don Felice Pisanò school
7:30-8:20pm – THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE “Mio nonno e il mulo” Palazzo De Matteis
30 AUGUST
5:30-7:15pm – WORKSHOP - “Api, miele, biodiversità” Don Felice Pisanò school
7:30-8:20pm – PUPPET SHOW - “Il principe infarinato” Palazzo De Matteis
29-30-31 AUGUST
starting at 9pm - COMMUNITY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT - “Il grande ponte in Bambu” San Michele church
31 AUGUST
starting at 8pm – CREATIVE GAMES - “La terra che gioca"
29- 30 August
MORNING AND AFTERNOON
HISTORICAL AND NATURE WALKS
· 29 AUGUST
3:30pm, Marina di Andrano
Depending on the weather, either an excursion in kayak or a hike on the Via del Sale (reservations required: +39 351/997 0029)
5:30pm Castiglione d’Otranto
Guided walk (info: +39 329/537 3764)
· 30 AUGUST
10am and 3pm – Marina di Andrano
Excursion in kayak (reservations required +39 351/535 8225)
5:30pm Castiglione d’Otranto
Guided walk (info: +39 329/537 3764)
NEW VILLAGE COMMON LABS / THE SCHOOL OF COMMON GOOD
· 29-30-31 AUGUST
11:30am-3:30pm – at the Vivaio dell’inclusione Luigi Russo
Group culinary activities, art and artisan workshops, conversations and exchanges curated by Confederacy of Villages with Another Art (Armenia), KF Huset (Sweden), Campo Adentro (Spain), Grizedale Arts (England), Chto Delat School of Engaged Art (Russia), Free Home University (USA-Salento), and fireflyfrequencies.org (Sardegna-Salento).
LET’S PLANT WOODS
Sessions curated by the Parco regionale costa Otranto-S.M. di Leuca- Bosco di Tricase (info and sign-ups +39 348/564 9772).
Location: Corte del forno / 1° vico don Sturzo
· 29 AUGUST - 5:45-8pm
“Esperienze di rinaturalizzazione nel Salento”
“Dai vivai forestali alla terra, le specia per gli imboscimenti”
“Nuove filiere economiche alimentari ed erboristiche dall’agroforestazione”
· 30 AUGUST - 5:45-8pm
“La gestione del patrimonio forestale antico e recente”
“Gli alberi e i boschi sulla soglia di casa. Ragioni e prospettive per la gestione del verde in ambito urbano”
“Nuove filiere economiche multifunzionali dai boschi”
29- 30 August
EVENING
PIAZZA DELLA LIBERTA’
29 AUGUST
8:30pm – LECTURE – “Pasolini alla fine del viaggio: la riflessione sul volgar’eloquio”
9pm – CONVERSATION – “Grano: arma di guerra, strumento di pace”
10pm – LIVE CONCERT – ALMORAIMA with “Desert Song- Paesaggi sonori mediorientali”
30 AUGUST
8:30pm – THEATRICAL READING – “Petrolio”
8:50pm – CONVERSATION – “Le mani sulla terra: l’anatomia del potere”
10pm – LIVE CONCERT – Massimo Donno
BEYOND LA NOTTE VERDE – EXIBITIONS AND FILM SCREENINGS
“Patriarchi della biodiversità,” curated by the Parco regionale costa Otranto-Leuca;
“Biodiversità e paesaggi accessibili,” braille and bas relief panels describing flora and fauna in the Parco regionale costa Otranto-Leuca;
“Plurale Mediterraneo-Mare bianco di mezzo,” maps of the Mediterranian curated byi Federica Ferri, Gus-Gruppo Umana Solidarietà;
“Dietro le porte di Lecce. Viaggio tra le comunità religiose della città,” photo reportage bu Andrea Gabellone on diverse ethnic and religious communitied in Lecce;
“Sponte Plantis,” photography project by Rocco Casaluci on spontaeous flora along the borders of rural roads.
“La Madonna dei cereali,” exibition of a wood-panel painting created for the Notte Verde with Byzantin painting techniques by Mimmo Camassa;
“Senza tempo,” exhibition of games, musical instruments and items from the past reproduced faithfully by Giacomo Panico;
“Difese Naturali,” a film by Nico Angiuli, 2022 (28minutes), shown at the Mulino di Communità each evening (29-30-31). Produced with students from the Adelfia School in Bari, the film tells the tale of an imaginary and distopic future where a group of pre-adolescents oppose the mandates of a “central government” that makes seed sharing and the protection of biodiversity illegal activities.
31 August 2022
PIAZZA DELLA LIBERTA’
8:30pm – CELEBRATION – “Bentornata, Notte Verde!”
9pm – CONVERSATION – “La schiavitù del cibo: noi e il futuro dei popoli”
10pm – BOOK PRESENTATION – “Contro i Borghi: il Belpaese che dimentica i paesi”
11pm – LIVE CONCERT – Tupamaros with the “Senza paura tour”
VIA SPALLANZANI
10pm – MEETING – “Convocatoria ecologista Taranto”
THE STREETS AND SQUARES of the Notte Verde
Teachers of Biodiversity Road: pomological exhibit curated by the Parco regionale Otranto-Leuca; forest scenes by Arif Puglia; local varieties of fruit trees by Vivaio Punto Verde di Roberto De Giorgi; legumes, vegetables and seed sharing with Angelo Passalacqua and Angelo Giordano; seed sharing, cuttings and small plants with Adipa Puglia.
Cereal Way: experiential visits to the Mulino di Comunità (community mill); exibition of varities of ears, grains and flours; the art of breadmaking with the Settecroste bakery and Andrea Cirolla; the Saragolla Pact of San Mauro Forte (Matera); collective cereals and tastings with Ruralia-Parco dei Paduli and Pro Loco San Cassiano; the right kind of pasta with “La Tricasina.”
Natural Agriculture Street: with practitioners of local natural agriculture (organic, biodynamic, regenerative) using eco-compatible practices, sustainable supply chains, and the creation of alternative markets (moving beyond the mass industrial distribtuion).
Ecological Conversion Way: solutions for rethinking models of environmental and social impact by a consumeristic and capitalistic society: including the transformation of innovative materials, reducing waste, and activating enviromental awareness with Precious Plastic Salento Messapia Style (contruction in hemp and lime), Vivere la Canapa and other virtuous activities.
The Earth That Heals & Social Agriculture: agricultural and artisanal projects for the social and employment inclusion of people with disabilities, migrants, disadvantaged workers; services to accompany medical, psychological and rehabilitative therapies; projects for reutilization of assets seized from the organized crime.
9:45pm – PRESENTATION – “Il limoneto”
10pm – BOOK PRESENTATION – “Incontro alla vita”
Road of Life: with beekeepers who respect quality of life inside and outside of the hive, sustainable extraction, transformation and storage methods; apiaries with didactic and inclusive activites: exhibition of historic and contemporary tools for beekeeping.
Herbal Way: the world of wild, medicinal and therapeutic plants with traditional herbalists, distillates, soaps, fabric dyers, and an exhibition of antique distillers curated by C.R.E.D.O.- Collettivo Raccoglitori Erboristi Distillatori e Osservatori della Valle d’Itria.
Generational Bridge Street: grandparents from the Auser Ponte Andrano-Castiglione share their knowledge of legumes, with tasting of traditional “pignate,” and “cunti.”
Eco-Artisan Boulevard: with artisans who emply ecological production techniques using both traditional and innovative materials, upcycling and recycling.
Sustainable and Responsible Tourism Path: projects that prioritize environmental, cultural, and community sustainability with respect for people, places, and mother nature with La Scatola di Latta, Rete I.ta.cà., Cammini di Leuca- Parco Culturale Ecclesiale De Finibus Terrae, Salento Adventure, Mbt Spongano, Salento Verticale, Gea, SWIM-Liberi di Nuotare.
Of Land and of Paper: a book corner curated by Terra Nuova Edizioni, AnimaMundi Edizioni, Libreria Idrusa, and the Biblioteca “don Giacomo Pantaleo” del Comune di Andrano.
Playful Earth (see La terra che gioca in the section dedicated to children’s activities).
Partisan Court: associations, popular movements, as well as the coordinated and active promoters of an alternative idea for the future, moving away from exploitation of people, land and well-being with COSPE Onlus, Manu Manu Riforesta, Oltre Mercato Salento, Salento Km0, Lilt Lecce, Isde Lecce, Comitato NoTap, Coordinamento Colacem, Italia Nostra, Rete Ambiente e Salute, Biblioteca di Sarajevo, OmbreRosse aps several other groups active in our local area.
Refreshments: officially recognized vendors (look for the Notte Verde logo) where you can find refreshments made from traceable local products: Trattoria Vardaceli, Chiosco Bar Sole-Luna, McFlo, Punto Market Gam, Pizzeria Pirumafru, Supermercati Ingletto.
Collective Dining Area: provided by the Casa delle Agriculture farming cooperative, there are shared tables and dishes for vegans, vegetarians and omnivores made from locally sourced, natural, and sustainable ingredients.
VARIOUS READINGS, ART INSTALLATIONS, MUSICAL PERFORMANCES
L.B. legge Pasolini, artistic performance in the chapel of S. Maria Maddalena;
Nikolay Oleynikov, ‘P P x P- Piatti Pronti per Pasolini,’ art exibition and charity auction.
Ritratto di Pasolini su tessuto, by Nikolay Oleynikov, created together with Imma Longo;
LIVE CONCERTS
Andrea Cassese with his latest album “Paesi semplici”
Hat in the Garret (alone blues)
Giuseppe Valente (cantautorato italiano)
I Fanfarroni (musica randagia)
Frank Bramato and Luigi Botrugno in “Uccellacci e Uccellini”
Giuliano Serafino (cantautorato)
Eleonora Carbone and Asia Macchia (harp and violin) in “Tra sacro e profano”
Bay State (indie folk USA-Salento)