Can a story change a city? Another approach to urban regeneration.

By Martina Gnerre

Urban regeneration primarily means redevelopment and rethinking spaces. This often requires targeted political action by public administrations to reorganize and transform the city, and an urban-building approach to architectural restoration, complete with construction sites, cranes, paint, bricks, and hammers.

All of this can take a long time and require the investment of large amounts of capital.

I wondered if a well-told story (whether it's about a corner of a neighborhood or, why not, an entire city) could be a strategic resource for creating imaginations in people, imaginative scenarios that would be unthinkable if left untold.

A story to give voice to the meaning of a place,

to revive a space that had fallen into disuse

without affecting his physical structure in the slightest.

For me, the ideal city is a place that cannot forget its most marginal and degraded areas.

Even more so if these places are steeped in ancient history.

I was born in Benevento, a town that preserves a wealth of ancient relics scattered within its walls, so much so that I've heard some describe it as an 'open-air museum'.

For example, did you know that Benevento was home to one of the largest and most majestic temples ever dedicated to the goddess Isis? Built by Emperor Domitian, it was demolished and dismantled by order of the Christians. Over the centuries, those stones were reused for construction purposes, and you can still see them today, scattered here and there throughout the alleys of the historic center.

Some support the city walls, others serve as columns for churches, still others as foundations for palaces. Unfortunately, although they are relics of extreme historical value, they are now abandoned and in a state of profound neglect.

GLOOCI (which stands for Genius Loci) is an application in which a character, whether real or fictional, as the soul and guardian of a place, accompanies the visitor on an exploratory journey.

The genius loci shares interesting facts and unexpected anecdotes, aiming to create a connection with the user. Thanks to an innovative Artificial Intelligence system, you can talk to the genius loci and ask it anything you want to know.

GLOOCI isn't just for tourists: the goal is for it to also be a tool for city dwellers to rediscover and marvel at the places they already regularly visit and know.

I believe that one of the possible keys to achieving this goal is to use experienced voices, which seem human (even if they are not) and which influence the emotions of those who listen to them.

Voices that are moved to move because they have a story, unfortunately often buried, that needs to be brought back to light.

For example, let me introduce you to Hestia, priestess of the Temple of Isis in Benevento. Hestia guides the user on a 2-kilometer walking tour to discover the hidden (but clearly visible) treasures of the 89 AD Temple of Isis in Benevento (click play to hear Hestia's voice).