Mantua, cuba

Paolo Simonazzi

Mantua, Cuba (2015) is a photography project created by Paolo Simonazzi that focuses on a small town on the outskirts of the island of Cuba. Legend has it, but there is also some basis in truth, that Mantua was founded by a group of Italian sailors, mostly from Genoa or the surrounding area, who had washed up on the island after surviving the wreck of the ship that bore that name. Simonazzi, with the support of writer Davide Barilli, has told a story of forgetfulness made of symbols, intimate heirlooms of houses, photographs, posters and abandoned buildings. In a moment in history when Cuba is undergoing a change, Mantua, Cuba can be seen as the representation of a legend that survives and becomes a myth.