November 2025 16×21 cm pagine: 224 ISBN 9788894895896 This project is the story of a place that lives in silence—a corner of the world that preserves forgotten memories and fragments of stories suspended in time. Castiglione di Roncofreddo, the land where I have lived for twelve years, is made of the same substance as its ruins, its barely visible traces, and the artifacts that resurface from the soil after plowing. Every fragment collected and every document yellowed by time has been a step toward rediscovering what once was, reconstructing a past that still vibrates beneath the surface. My research began with a simple question: what existed before this field? This inquiry is rooted in my mother’s curiosity; she was the first to begin collecting and preserving much of the material from which this investigation grew. From there, it evolved into a journey through ancient maps, forgotten land registries, photographs of long-vanished faces, and the testimonies of those who inhabited these places before me. My home, once located in via Palazzo, holds a history dating back well beyond 1600. Yet, my investigation is not limited to the history of my house; by digging through archives and ancient annotations, references emerge to the castle of Castellione, dating back to 1136. A lost castle that I seek to bring to light, step by step, reconstructing its location and its historical bond with my own dwelling. Exploring this past has become a necessity—a connection woven into my daily life. Although I have no family roots here, over time Castiglione has become an integral part of my photographic research. The voices of the last inhabitants have served as my guide: fragmented memories, whispered words, and stories handed down like thin threads connecting past and present. A spoken name, a face glimpsed in a faded photograph, a turret that perhaps truly existed—each piece adds to a narrative that unfolds through time. This work does not follow a rigid order, for history cannot be easily harnessed; instead, it flows like the Rigossa river as it crosses the valley toward Castiglione. This research is an act of care toward a place that deserves to be heard. Even in the silence of abandonment, Castiglione continues to speak to those who have the patience to stop and listen. It is my way of reweaving the fabric of a place that was at risk of being lost, restoring to these lands the memory they deserve and maybe bringing to light the identity of the ancient castle of Castiglione di Roncofreddo.