Dov’è il Po?
In the second part of the theatrical triptych that forms part of the joint project Atlante delle Rive, following on from Bestiario idrico, Marco Paolini continues his exploration of Italian waterways, choosing the longest river on the peninsula, the Po, which travels right across Northern Italy. The exploration of the river forms the basis of a political and social reflection on the relationships between the environment and the population that inhabits it.
Rivers sometimes cross borders, but never recognise them. They reason in terms of drainage basins. Physical geography draws the features, but mountains are recognised by anyone, while we find it more difficult to recognise a basin. That of the Po used to cross borders until less than two centuries ago. The Ticino separated two different territorial systems founded on different relationships between water, space and city: there was a Piedmont basin and a Lombardy Veneto basin. At the confluence with the Ticino is the monumental Ponte della Becca, in iron: the Po above is different from that below. The aquatic and political history of the Po helps us to understand not only the position of the river, but also our position within its basin.
Duration: the play is currently in production and the duration may vary
