Dario Vassallo, author and philanthropist, president of the “Angelo Vassallo Sindaco Pescatore” Foundation, enthusiastically announces his latest literary work, “Maratea e La Foca Monaca” (Iod Edizioni): an enchanting tale that blends ancestral wisdom and timeless adventures .
The book, intended for both young readers and adults, takes the audience on a breathtaking journey through the Kingdom of sea, weaving a web of love, loss and hope. After the experience of "Capaci: Rocco and the Kingdom of Octopuses", Dario Vassallo returns to deal with a literary genre rich in metaphorical implications, namely the fairy tale, to inspire the protection of the oceans and the sea.
At the heart of the narrative is the key figure of Biagio, the old fisherman from Maratea who, after thirteen years of self-exile from the coast, decides to undertake an epic journey together with his nephew, who bears the same name as him, to reveal his secret: every being human has a soul mate in a 'sea being'. This fantastic and colorful itinerary into the abyss, imbued with magic and wonder, turns out to be much more than a simple marine adventure: it is a viaticum to the discovery of the profound bonds that unite man and the sea, and conversely, the existential intuition of how breaking these bonds can lead to chaos.
Through encounters with extraordinary marine creatures and the return to his soul mate, the Prince of Seals, Biagio transmits to his young nephew not only the beauty and richness of the underwater world, but also the crucial importance of conserving and protecting the balance of natural habitats, crucial for maintaining the life cycle of the Planet.
An "epic fairy tale": this is how Dario Vassallo defines it. A wandering through the submerged wonders, between amazement and changes of scene, in which each encounter becomes a metaphor for personal growth, emancipation, the achievement of autonomy and wisdom, but also a warning to young people: woe betide you if you betray the sea, the source of life, of amazement, of narratives, of sailing peoples, of sustenance and economy.
«I wrote this tale as a gesture of love towards Maratea, its sea and its beauties – says Dario Vassallo, letting the inspiration that guided the writing shine through – It is one of the few places where the soul finds peace. I have been lucky enough to travel and get to know many places in the world, but before 2010 I only found a place like this in Tunisia. Maratea, however, is different, it is of infinite beauty, where the soul calms down and the mind dreams. Maybe it's the place of dreams.
And we hope that the fairy tale can also be auspicious and contribute to Maratea's candidacy as Capital of Culture 2026. It is a door to the Mediterranean that opens towards the interior of Basilicata, connecting with the rest of the country and the world. Symbol of the lands of the South and of the role of the South as a cultural crossroads within the Mediterranean Sea, on whose shores philosophical thought was born and today is dramatically crossed by boats of migrant peoples in search of hope and a future.
The “Angelo Vassallo Sindaco Pescatore” Foundation, committed to promoting culture and environmental conservation, actively supports Maratea's candidacy as the 2026 Capital of Italian Culture". On the occasion of the official presentation of the book, scheduled for 9 April 2024 at the Chamber of Deputies, Dario Vassallo will be accompanied by the Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies Sergio Costa, former Minister of the Environment.
“Maratea and the Monk Seal” is not only a compelling story, but is above all a passionate appeal so that man and the sea can coexist in harmony, guaranteeing a sustainable future for generations to come. It is an invitation to return to harmony and freedom, but above all to the commitment to create a protected marine area on earth, where marine animals can once again live freely and raise their children together with the children of humans. Where the seabed can return free from nets and plastic.
Dario Vassallo, with this story, tells the story of the richness and freedom that derive from the harmony between man and the sea: on the other hand, the disaster produced by the breaking of this peaceful bond. And he does it through the passing of the baton from grandfather to grandson, "because - states Vassallo - only by passing on the importance of and gentle cosmetics, we can truly protect it."
