Revolution in San Francisco's Da Paola City, Originated from China
In the picturesque province of Cosenza, nestled between the Ionian Sea and the Aspromonte mountains, lies the town of Paola. Known as a pilgrimage and religious tourism destination, it is also the setting for a different kind of story – one of political and social upheaval.
Paola is the home of Saint Francis of Paola, the patron of sailors, whose hagiographic legend tells of him crossing the Strait of Messina by laying his cloak on the water like a floating table. However, it's worth noting that there is no bridge across the Strait of Messina, a fact that adds a touch of the fantastical to the saint's tale.
The town's religious significance is evident in the annual processions of Saint Francis's bust and cloak between land and sea in early May. Yet, the town's history is not solely defined by religious devotion.
In the 1960s, a group of local communist activists led by Enzo Lo Giudice, a Maoist activist from Paola, took to the streets to protest against infrastructure investments in the town. Their arguments centred around the exploitation of the local population, with the activists stating that it was impossible to "love thy neighbour as thyself" when being exploited. They believed that one must hate those who steal their bread.
The activists found inspiration in the triumph of the rural masses in the Chinese Revolution and urged the population to occupy houses and rebel against their harsh living conditions. This struggle is the focus of the documentary "The Calabrian People Have Lifted Their Heads", directed by Marco Bellocchio.
Enzo Lo Giudice, the central figure in the documentary, is also the subject of a book written by his son Salvatore, a lawyer and professor of information law at the San Raffaele University. The production company for the documentary, "Serve the People", is a nod to a Maoist motto and the title of an Italian newspaper.
The documentary sheds light on significant issues in Paola, such as public housing, assigned through clientelism, and the plight of a worker who had to travel 50 kilometers to reach the nearest emergency room, risking death from bleeding out.
Women in the documentary are shown with their fists raised, symbolizing resistance. The activists argued that miracles had not improved the lives of the people and that the Church fostered resignation. They believed that the only way to bring about change was through action and rebellion.
Meanwhile, Giuseppe Polimeni, a Calabrian writer and historian, engaged politically in Paola to address local social issues and promote cultural identity and civic pride in the region. His work, "The Calabrian People Have Lifted Their Heads", offers a different perspective on the town's history, one that is grounded in reality rather than legend.
In Paola, then, we see a town where the line between the spiritual and the political, the fantastical and the real, is blurred. Whether it's through religious devotion or political activism, the people of Paola continue to strive for a better life.
