The Abruzzo National Park is one of the oldest in Italy. The first to recognize its landscape and environmental value were the Savoys in the 20s. Then it regularly entered the national network of Italian parks, but within its perimeter - in the Municipality of Villetta Barrea- there was an inactive hydroelectric power plant. THE
The power plant will be put back into operation on March 30th. It has stood still for many years and is recognized as an architectural and historical heritage dating back to 1910. It is an example of industrial architecture, a memory of a rural time with transhumance shepherds and "rough people" attached to traditions. It is precisely the rude people and the deprivation of electricity that are the protagonists of Fontamara, the beautiful book by the anti-fascist writer Ignatius Silone. The Villetta Barrea power plant inspired a photographic project today full of participation for sustainable regeneration and as a symbol of an era in which people's needs become instrumental to the affirmation of power. No, there is no mention of Silone and Fontamara in the invitation for March 30th.
The history of the power station
The power plant had a decisive function for the populations. On March 30th it will be re-inaugurated and on this occasion the photographic book will be presented "Running water", which tells the citizens' feelings through images, brought to light thanks to the experience of three photographers. Who I am ? Alfredo Corrao, photography teacher, specialized in the documentation of cultural heritage; Yvonne DeRosa, original artist in the search for images as an opportunity for cultural exchange; Simona Filippini, already a student of the master in Paris Paolo Roversi.
The book was commissioned by the EnergRed Company which took over the old power plant. “It was designed as a tribute to a community that knows it is beautiful and has the pride of showing itself as such. The recovery of the hydroelectric power plant is in harmony with the territory, for its operational functionality and for its environmental sustainability" he explained Moreno Scarchini, founder and CEO of the company.
The plant stopped for the first time during the Second World War. The Germans destroyed it and Enel restored it in 1952 and then again in the 90s, until in 2015 a flood interrupted its service again. EnergRed brought it to new life with a modern revamping. Based on the relaunch of the plant as an energy transition project, the photographic project and the book were developed. The energy company wanted to strengthen its presence by enhancing local memory. As the mayor says Giuseppina Colantoni the community has its memories. “For all of us in Villetta it has always been “the control unit” – she explains. “Very few villages can boast of owning one: it is a precious asset due to the strong social value it has for the community”. Oh yes, it needed to be put back into operation.
