THE NARRATING BENCHES: A STORY OF URBAN REGENERATION THAT SPARKS CURIOSITY BEYOND REGIONAL BORDERS

#Voices and Visions
Gorizia
10 September 2025

On the Tradition Bench by Lara Steffe, a gentleman is reading the newspaper. A gentle sun lights up the pages of Il Piccolo while the chatter of passers-by forms the background. It is one of the many everyday scenes we witness from our Bottega del Cappello in Via Rastello 52, and it reminds us how exciting it is to contribute, day after day, to the urban regeneration of a historic district.

Since the official presentation of the Narrating Benches last July, a simple walk from Via Rastello to Borgo Castello is enough to encounter similar scenes: in Piazza della Vittoria, where the Food and Wine Bench by Paolo Figar is located – not far from the History Bench by Stefano Comelli – all the way to the foot of Porta Leopoldina, where the Nature Bench by Damjan Komel stands.

Our Narrating Benches continue to spark vivid curiosity among passers-by, city visitors, and local residents alike. A remarkable success, the result of a detailed narrative built over time and with patience, which local media have also appreciated and covered with interest: from Il Piccolo to Primorski and Messaggero Veneto, from regional RAI to Voce Isontina, as well as Il Goriziano, Gorizia News, and the numerous outlets of Friuli Venezia Giulia that tell the daily stories of a land rich in culture and ideas. But that’s not all. Our Narrating Benches and the ongoing urban regeneration in the heart of the city have also gained wide coverage in national publications.

QN Itinerari – the travel section of Quotidiano Nazionale – described them as “an invitation for citizens and tourists to take a journey through the history and tradition of the area, its food and wine flavors, and the colors of its landscapes.” DOVE – the travel editorial team of corriere.it – portrays them as “stations along an ideal route to rediscover Gorizia’s past through QR codes that allow deeper exploration of the city’s events and stories.” 24OreNews.it calls them “a creative and accessible way to turn a walk into a narrative journey.”

The magazine ELLE, on the other hand, included them among the destinations of an ideal 48-hour journey between Gorizia and Nova Gorica, describing them as “an invitation to discover stories, anecdotes, and memories, also thanks to multimedia tools.” Il Giornale dell’Arte spoke of public art as an opportunity for rebirth, while Artribune described a project capable of transforming urban space into a pathway that speaks of art, nature, memory, flavors, and traditions.
Turisti per Caso also walked with us through the village to showcase the beauty of these works in a video format that we can’t wait to see.

I finally recall the conversation with Radio Capodistria during the program “Calle degli orti grandi”, and I particularly think back to one idea that emerged during the episode: creating spaces for meeting and gathering, where people can come together and admire the beauty of the places around us.

This is the mission that has guided our commitment from the very beginning as Confcommercio Gorizia, along with our partners from La Via del BorGO. A mission that will continue to guide our initiatives to make this project – born within the framework of the PNRR Bando Borghi – a virtuous example of enhancing the city’s value.

The four benches represent a bridge between contemporary art and the history of the Gorizia area. The media attention serves as a prestigious acknowledgment for all those involved and reinforces the effectiveness of an approach that uses art and storytelling to foster community engagement and civic awareness.
The European Capital of Culture and the many projects that have emerged and are still emerging in Gorizia represent an important starting point for the future and for designing ideas that can enhance the economic and social fabric through culture and beauty.

I would like to once again thank everyone who worked on the Narrating Benches project: the staff of Confcommercio Gorizia, who bring life every day to the Bottega del Cappello; the Examina Association; the Prologo Association; and the artists who lent their creativity to this narrative.

Many more ideas and projects are in the pipeline, and we can’t wait to share them and see them come to life.

 

Monica Paoletich,

Director of Confcommercio Gorizia

 

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