A journey into Oristano's past through the figures who have lived in the city. From the most famous and celebrated to the simplest and most popular, but always dear to everyone. From Achille Parnicich, the city's first photographer, to the intellectual Salvatore Angelo De Castro, to the painter Antonio Corriga, to the actor Tiberio Murgia. And then Angelina Cabras, a pioneer of physics, Lia Dettori Aiello, Oristano's first female mayor, the lawyer and politician Salvatore Parpaglia, the engineer Davide Cova, the aviator Ernesto Campanelli, the playwright Antonio Garau. But the list is endless.
The idea came from Antonello Manca, violinist, choir and orchestra director, composer, and teacher. The artist first collected photos of the characters and then, using artificial intelligence, restored, colored, and animated them.
The project, titled "Historical Characters of the City," was published on social media and YouTube, featuring music written by the composer himself. There are currently nine episodes, with a tenth in preparation. Each episode tells the story of approximately 20 characters.
"I decided to do all this because of my passion for the history of my city and to introduce new generations to the Oristano people of the past. My project could soon become a play." The views are numerous, but so are the tears of those who see their loved ones in a modern and unexpected guise. A heartbreak, in some cases. One video features Carlo Granese, who passed away in 2020 and was deputy mayor of Oristano and a regional councilor.
The many videos also feature brothers Giuseppe and Piero Spiga, the former a point of reference for many athletes and the latter an important political figure in Oristano. And then there's the image of Guido Bonsignore, a renowned magistrate and a great horse lover; Antonio Casu, founder of the Sartiglietta; master pastry chef Luigi Masala; agricultural entrepreneur Giovannino Falchi; professor Peppetto Pau; soccer player Sergio Crovi; entrepreneur and bartender Tonietto Arru; Ignazio Pinna, componidori and four-time president of the Farmers' Guild; historic jeweler Camillo Sotgiu; and Sartiglia knight and componidori Aldo Cossu. And many others.