Flying Tony
Grottole is a Genuine Old Town near Matera. It has an ancient story, and gets its name from the natural grottoes - prehistoric homes turned into ceramics workshops. Grottole is full of treasures, hidden in the churches, in the ruins of the Lombard castle, and in the beautiful landscape that surrounds it. Despite this, the village is emptying, as many other small Italian villages are, losing their inhabitants and sealing their fate. This is where Tony comes in.
Tony is a piglet, the symbol of the Feast of St. Anthony Abbot, where every year a piglet, bred by the community, is sacrificed. In this project Tony becomes a symbol for Grottole’s rebirth, an attraction capable of drawing people back, bringing tourists and students and inviting them to discover a village full of beauty. Tony will be a virtual guide, interacting with visitors through digital technology and 'in person', as a balloon in the shape of a flying piglet, visible from afar, who will fly over the village. A sort of marker, which descends every now and then for story-telling by the community for sharing with tourists who become citizens for a day – and maybe forever – of this fascinating village in Basilicata.
Realized in co-production by
Municipality of Grottole for Capital for one day
Wonder Grottote Impresa Sociale
