The Mazapégul is a mythological figure from the folklore of the Romagna Apennines, a creature halfway between a goblin and an incubus, often described as wearing a red cap and covered in thick fur, dedicated to disturbing the young and beautiful girls of the village. Its origins can be found in stories handed down orally by the inhabitants of the area.
This project aims to reimagine this myth in a documentary style to recount the realities of provincial life in Romagna, the people who still live and persevere in areas affected by depopulation and the disastrous consequences of the climate crisis.
As in Leopardi's “La sera del dì di festa” (The Evening of the Feast Day), the days of village festivals are marred by a gloomy and dark atmosphere dominated by the corrosive effects of time, so too are the difficulties of these territories, rich in history, culture and traditions but increasingly tormented and left to their own devices.
The horrific imagery of the photographs pays homage to the folklore of a disturbing and unsettling creature such as the Mazapégul, the protagonist of the legends of the lands depicted, while also emphasising the difficulties faced by the population of these lands, often forgotten by the institutions but still resisting, with new young people returning to populate them and ancient activities disappearing.
