During my week-long immersion in Oppido Lucano for the project “Studi sul qui” (Studies on Here), I undertook research to explore the impact of the Consorzio Agrario building on the community. It is not just a warehouse, but a structure that reveals the complex economic, social, and cultural relationships of the area. Through the stories of the inhabitants and an analysis of Italy's post-war history, I tried to tie together the threads between their experiences and the economic, cultural, and social issues of a fragmented Italy. I discovered how this building, although not immediately recognizable from the street, has become a central reference point in the mental geography of the town, acting almost as a “covered square” in a place where traditional public space is problematic. Its construction, which took place between 1954 and 1955 with funds from the Cassa del Mezzogiorno, and the working methods employed reflect the dynamics of the ‘great reconstruction’ and the almost ‘colonial’ logic applied to the South, with decisions and profits often remaining far removed from local communities. I also observed how the construction of the building highlighted the management logic typical of post-war reconstruction, with the use of unskilled labor from the masses of unemployed or underemployed, and the still artisanal organization of the construction process.


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