POLLICA
Looking out over fields of olive trees towards the Tyrrehnian sea, the small town of Pollica (Campania region, South Italy) represents the beating heart and the perfect symbol of the Mediterranean Diet.
A wealth of science, traditional knowledge, skills, and identity values generated by a territory which is a natural laboratory of land and marine biodiversity.
The life rhythms of its 2,300 inhabitants are based on skills, knowledge, rituals, and traditions centered on the sharing and consumption of food in perfect balance between food-scape and food identity. This is where the Humana Communitas lives, marking its presence in food-related behavioral patterns and experiences. Not coincidentally, it is from here that Ancel and Margaret Keys began their studies on the local centenarian population, finding in food the secret of their longevity and well-being. Moreover, it is in Velia (current Ascea) that the Eleatic School was born in the sixth century BC. A school of philosophy that reflected on Being, the most authentic core of world knowledge. Being many things at the same time. An extremely modern way of being, which embodies the ability to recognize the connections and knowing how to tackle the complexity of our world. A world that we can experience through the power of conviviality: eating, the act we perform every day, is a convivial act. And here, on the Mediterranean tables, it takes on a very special role.
“(Re)starting from Pollica is a declaration of renewed responsibility. The path traced with incredible farsightedness, consistency and concreteness by Mayor Angelo Vassallo is a source of great inspiration for those who are called upon to create the future and form positive agents of change. His story teaches us that we must start by protecting our territory, caring for the land and respecting nature in order to plan a prosperous future for the community. Today, in the wake of a pandemic that has upset the balance of the world, following the path traced by a pioneer, a true example for the new generations and in an area that is the cradle of our culture, a model for the enhancement of biodiversity and a symbol of the struggle for environmental protection, each educational experience takes on a unique value that allows us to understand how much places as well as politics can contribute to building a better future.”
