Restanza
Discussion
Grace Blakeley:
"The idea of restanza, or resting in a place, a term coined by Italian anthropologist Vivo Teti, who spent his entire life studying the small village in which he was born and where he still lives. On the first page of the document, there was a long quote from Teti: ‘Restanza means choosing to stay in a place in a conscious active and proactive way by actively guarding it, being aware of the past while enhancing what remains with an impulse towards the future where a new community is possible. In this sense, staying is a dynamic concept, it is a form of journey.’
I had never heard of Teti or restanza, but the framework deeply resonated with me. Places like the Ffestiniog boast astonishing natural beauty but few economic opportunities. Many people feel they have no choice other than to leave. And our national conversation about place is defined by those who have left. Leaving is what the smart, ambitious, and dynamic people do—that’s why they call it the ‘brain drain’. Those who stay behind are treated with curiosity at best, pity at worst."