To determine whether the city is truly safe, she walked through the deserted alleys of the historic center at night and took buses. To test the honesty of its residents, she dropped her wallet with money on the ground while jogging. A social experiment that Marta Daddato, one of Italy's most followed social media creators, decided to conduct a few weeks ago in Oristano. She's 23 and an icon among young people: she has 361,000 YouTube subscribers, 910,000 Instagram followers, and a staggering 3.2 million on TikTok.
The experiment
The influencer stayed in Eleonora d'Arborea's city for 24 hours. This was a way to determine if the statistics from the Ministry of the Interior's database are true: Oristano is the safest city in Italy. The video, filmed a few weeks ago, was posted on various social media channels and is enjoying great success. The famous influencer wanted to experience firsthand the perception and reality of urban safety. During her trip, which she then made a point of visiting Milan, Italy's most dangerous city, she collected data, impressions, and testimonials from the people she met. The result? She, too, felt she was in a safe city.
The arrival
The video begins with a brief introduction to the city, focusing on ceramics and the Sartiglia. She then documented her arrival by train from Elmas. Once at the station, she easily found a taxi. She exchanged some information about the city with the driver, then arrived at Via Carducci. The B&B where she later stayed was located in the Saia buildings: "Everything here is in a very bad state," she says while showing the building. "It looks like an abandoned place. Shops are closed, shutters are down."
The means
Marta Daddato then took the bus to test public transportation. She reached a well-known fast food restaurant on Via Cagliari: "It looks like a school bus, so safe I could even fall asleep with my bag open." The outward journey went well, but the rest didn't. It took her an hour to get back to her B&B. The bus never showed up, so she had to call a taxi.
Honesty
That evening, before dark, she began running between Via Carducci and Via Cagliari, dropping her wallet whenever she was near people. The residents responded: everyone called the girl to let her know what she had "lost." For dinner, she went to a pizzeria not far from Piazza Manno. She sat outside: "I'm alone, but I feel safe and calm."
Among the young people
She then continued her journey downtown, where the streets were deserted, but she was in no danger. Once she reached Piazza Roma, she was recognized by the youths who chased her for a souvenir photo. She then interviewed the people she met, mostly young people. "Oristano is safe, just avoid the Torangius neighborhood and the station area at night," they said. "But it's often cramped, even boring." Then they reported that last August a young man set fire to a school floor. But the influencer ultimately had no doubts: "Oristano is a safe city." And thanks to her, it's now even better known. At least among young people.
