That photo is not Atina. And local fake news does damage.
A few weeks ago, a black-and-white photograph circulated on Facebook depicting some women in traditional Ciociaria dress, presented as a glimpse of Atina with girls from the 1930s.
But that photo was not taken in Atina.
And the women portrayed are not atinate.
The details that didn't add up
From the first glance, something did not match.
1. Flooring
In the 1930s, the streets of Atina were paved with the characteristic white pebbles, called “lə vəloccəra” in dialect.
In the image in question, the paving is completely different, with the classic sanpietrino.
2. The stone portal
Atina is a small historic centre, easily recognisable in its views, it is not a metropolis.
The stone portal in front of which the women are portrayed does not belong to the urban morphology of Athina. Those who know the country know how to distinguish what is ours from what is not.
3. The costume
The dress worn does not correspond to the traditional costume of Atina.
Each territory has precise variations in fabrics, shapes, decorative elements.
4. The basin
An even more significant detail is the presence of the basin.
The tradition of the conca, made of copper, roughly belongs to the area of Alta Ciociaria.
Atina is part of the Lower Ciociaria (Lower Lazio) once Terra di Lavoro, where the tradition of transporting water was that of the cannata, in terracotta. These are distinct cultural differences, not interchangeable.
The original source
A simple 30-second online search enabled me to find the photograph in the historical archive of the Pro Loco of Isola del Liri.
The site clearly states that:
- the photo dates back to the 1930s;
- portrays girls from Isola Liri;
- names are also given. From top left: 1. 2. 3. Pia Viscoglosi 4. Velia Grossi 5. Lea Sarra 6. Cecilia Mangoni 7. Maria Mangoni 8. Vienna Venditti 9. Evelina Viscogliosi
To be fair, I contacted the Pro Loco directly, who confirmed that the shot was taken in an alley in the historic centre of Isola del Liri, along the road that connects Piazza San Lorenzo to the ascent towards the Boncompagni Viscogliosi Castle.
The gate still exists today.
Photography, therefore, has a clear history, a precise place and a defined identity.
Why create a false attribution?
The question remains: why turn a properly catalogued photo into something else?
This is not an anonymous image.
This is not a shot without provenance.
The information was public, searchable, written in black and white.
To attribute it to Atina is to create confusion.
And confusion, even when it arises out of superficiality or seeking a few more interactions on social media, remains misinformation.
This is not the first time this has happened.
Every so often it seems that any period photograph should automatically become “a glimpse of Atina”, even when the architectural and cultural elements tell a different story.
Local fake news is even more dangerous
When talking about fake news, one thinks of big national or international issues.
But local fake news also exists.
And they are insidious, because they affect the collective memory, the cultural identity, the historical reconstruction of a community.
History cannot be improvised.
It does not fit for convenience.
One does not rewrite to gain consensus.
Every territory deserves respect.
Atina merita rispetto.
E anche Isola del Liri merita che la propria storia venga raccontata correttamente e non manipolata.
La verifica delle fonti non è polemica.
È responsabilità.
