Torri dell'Appia is a group project, developed as final output of two creative residencies part of the Appia 2030 program.
Appia 2030 is a territorial valorization process promoted by MediAree to enhance the final trait of the Via Appia (going from Francavilla Fontana to Brindisi through the territories of Oria, Latiano and Mesagne) in terms of culture, creativity and environmental protection with a focus on slow and experiential tourism, supporting the candidature of this historic route as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The residencies - curated by Cooperativa Thalassia, Bellissimo and Torino Stratosferica - took place in May and July 2022 and involved young architects, designers, environmental guides, cultural producers and copywriters in the exploration of this area and later in the design of some landmarks.
The landmarks are objects placed in the territory capable of enhancing its attractiveness, expressing its identity and playing a functional role in terms of security and accessibility.
The tower chosen as a landmark in the "Torri dell'Appia" project is inspired by the tradition of the watchtowers, a constant presence on the Apulian coast and in the hinterland of this area: it provides a new point of view to discover a territory that tends to be flat in its conformation, whose characteristic elements (the color of the leaves of the olive trees, the presence of the wind etc.) it takes up and exploits.
Made in self-construction, the towers can be declined in different forms to act as signs functional for orientation or water dispensers, with a presence in the territory whose frequency is based on the provided service.
Their existence also enhances perceived safety, becoming the symbol of a well-maintained territory.
Because where there is a tower,
there is something alive,
deserving protection.
