Vidracco is a very small village, located at the entrance of Valchiusella, in the foothills of the Italian Alps. It has a long history: from its time as a Celtic settlement to becoming the seat of the Temples of Humankind, the underground work of art hidden in the mountain behind the village. The Temples, built by the citizens of the community of Damanhur, are visited by people from all over the world. So on the morning of the World Wide Wander, the group had participants from lots of different countries!
The sleepy streets hid unexpected surprises, like the Kung Fu class in a parking lot and the recently restored pottery shop on the main street of the village.
Gazzella, an Italian resident of the village said: “I’ve been living in Vidracco for very many years, but for the very first time I had the impression I was connecting to it in a different way. During the two hours of the walk, I went through different states of awareness, and different perceptions of reality around me. I felt the outside landscape was a mirror for my inner one, and they were both bringing light to my question. This was a confirmation than when you look for something and you sincerely want to find it, reality responds with very clear signs. I would love to do this again, together with many other people of the valley”
After the first phase, we were joined by Antonio Bernini, Mayor of the village who, having just officiated a marriage, came to share the Wander. This was his reflection: “Beautiful experience! Even though I believed I knew my village, I’ve discovered new aspects of it. Stopping, watching, breathing, touching, listening… And what we know, what before we believed to know, it reveals to be different. A real source of inspiration. Thanks to the beautiful initiative! We will join it again next year, and the years to come, ready to welcome many more people.”
The conversation at the end was very lively and heartfelt, as several participants shared their questions and the answers they found in the barking of the dogs, the flight of the birds or the many pieces of artwork on the village walls.
by Esperide Ananas
