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Once Upon a Time
there was a Library By Giuseppe Di Marino |
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The library at Torricella was organised in a location on the Corso, where
Peppe’s Bar used to be and where now there’s the Salt and Tobacco shop. It had
many different books and magazines. With its neon lights it looked more like a
little shop in appearance, rather than a courteous and silent place for research
and study. The sign outside, also a neon light, said: “Community Library”. It
might have been thanks to its favourable position or due to the presence of the
then librarian, Ida Maria Piccone, that there were very many visitors. Many
found themselves there to have discussions, almost never about literature or
philosophy, but rather about the problematic conditions of the young or about
conditions more strictly linked to our village. Perhaps stimulated by the titles
of some nice books on open display, people elaborated ideas in there about
forming theatre groups to put on a comedy or some other show on the occasion of
village festivities. They prepared programmes that were almost never came to
fruition, but at least they were thought about and maybe even dreamed of. That
point of reference, the “Library”, stimulated many fantasies. Through the
glass-door one could see the passers-by who, walking by, cast a fleeting
uncertain glance towards the inside, and some, the rather more curious ones,
would stop and stare as if they really were looking into a shop window. At closing time, people lingered some more, in order to chat, and after helping Ida Maria to lower the shutters, they all went home for dinner giving each other appointments to meet on the following day. Later the Library was moved to a location at the elementary school in Via Bellini. Now there is no longer a Library at Torricella. We hope and we wish that soon we shall be able to have this service once more, for it helps everybody to be able to increase the degree of their knowledge. |
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© Amici di Torricella No 14 December 1994 page 7 Translation courtesy of Dr. Marion Apley Porreca |