I have always lived in San Lorenzo in Banale. My father Eugenio was a bricklayer and spent much of his life in tunnels, building hydroelectric power plants. My mother Anna, a homemaker, was the heart of the family: with her sweetness and strength she kept all of us together.
After school I went to the nuns to learn how to sew. At fifteen I started working in a factory producing military uniforms in Dorsino, then in the village hotels.
At twenty-two I married Gianfranco and began my life as a mother and homemaker. Then came Rudy, who works as a tinsmith, and Federica, who chose to explore the world: Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Chile. I have always stayed here, among the mountains and my community, but I am proud of her courage. She travels far away, but she knows that here, in San Lorenzo, there is her home, ready to welcome her every time she returns.
Alongside my family I have always wanted to commit myself to others: I was a catechist at the parish youth centre, I helped with summer camps and for many years I brought company and affection to the elderly at the Bleggio nursing home.
Today I am part of the village theatre group. I follow the directing work and sometimes I act as the prompter. I love theatre in dialect and the atmosphere that is created between rehearsals and the stage.
My sweetest memories are tied to my grandparents and to the place called Pezol, among meadows and the scent of freshly cut grass. I still remember the taste of the tomatoes in the little bucket my grandmother used to prepare for us: simple, authentic flavours that tell the story of my childhood.
Today, as a Greeter, I share with those who arrive the beauty of my village, the emotions and the memories that bind me to this land. My words are still whispered, but my love for San Lorenzo in Banale is so great that it overcomes any shyness.