Emerging throw the city of Molfetta

Emerging in the sea of Molfetta Issue #1, June 2024 Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief: Emmanuella Lopes Art Director: Emmanuella Lopes Publication Information Emerging in the sea of Molfetta is published by Emmanuella Lopes, located in Associazione InCo Molfetta, P.za Municipio, Via Morte, Snc, 70056 Molfetta, BA, Italy.

For inquiries, please contact me at: Whatsapp: (+35) 932 161 035 Email: emabilopes@gmail.com Copyright © 2024 Emmanuella Lopes. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.

CONTRIBUTIONS ESTÉBAN PAIN GIUSEPPE MASTROPIERRO MARCELLA BILLIFEMINE ROBERTO AYROLDI ILDIKÓ IGNACZ

Note from the editor

Hello!

Welcome to this zine where we explore the city of Molfetta through the eyes of its residents and locals, along with my personal experiences in this wonderful city.

I hope this gives you a deeper understanding of the people who live here and the unique aspects of Molfetta.

With all my love, Emmanuella Lopes

My experience...

by Emmanuella Lopes My desire to create this Zine arose from a particular internal impulse: to share my experience in the city of Molfetta while reflecting on my feelings and experiences. It’s a curious task because it’s been a long time since I’ve dedicated myself to deeply thinking about myself and the experiences of recent years. Today, I will address the experience of a defeminized Latin American body living in southern Italy, specifically in Molfetta. In my case, this means subverting the innate heteronormative gender.

Before arriving here, I decided to abandon the remnants of femininity I still performed, such as clothing, hair, and makeup. Even before disembarking, I was already thinking about how I was using my body and how I could explore it, being a person with political awareness and knowing the consequences this could have on my volunteer experience.

And what role does the city play in all of this? In Molfetta, I felt truly free. I did not face judgmental looks regarding how I presented my gender. This is extraordinary because, even though it is a town in the interior of Puglia, people here allow others to be humanized, regardless of their context.

First impressions

by Emmanuella Lopes My first impressions of Molfetta were positive, although I arrived with a certain fear of the unknown. For me, it was a big surprise because I never imagined that one day I would live in Italy. As a Brazilian, I always thought it was too far for me, and suddenly, it happened: I was here.

I moved to Molfetta because of the European Solidarity Corps program and became a volunteer at the Associação InCo Molfetta¹. After adapting a bit, I decided to explore the city more. Every step was a discovery of unknown and intriguing pleasures! The streets with white stones that reflect the sunlight in a unique way, the green windows that represent where the locals live, the beaches with stones² that offer a unique setting, and culinary delights like panzerottis and focaccias.

The pizza from the Booh!³ restaurant and the gelatto from San Marco⁴ became familiar, adding a sense of belonging to what was once unknown. I remember a particularly happy day when I went to Booh! and the owner told me it was his name day. I decided to give him a wine and a chocolate as a gift. His grateful smile was a gift in return for me.

This city, which was once just a distant point on the map, is now a home full of life and personal stories!

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VOICES MOLFETTA