Gabriella

I am 44 years old. I have been working as a barber for 27 years. First I worked in the barber shop next door for eight years. Now, I own my own shop at the Piazza di Porta Capena.

I remember the obelisk very well. I passed by every day. I remember that they divided it into pieces to bring it back. It was completely scaffolded. This was about five years ago.

When I found them preparing, I did ask for some information and I learned that it was part of my culture. I didn’t know that it was from Ethiopia. It is ours! It is part of my heritage.

My grandfather was from Calabria [region in Italy, S.R.], and he went there [to Ethiopia, S.R.] and married my grandmother. I was born in Ethiopia. Then we lived in the Italian neighborhood in Asmara. I moved to Rome when I was eight years old.

Through the repatriation the neighborhood has changed and became more sad. Even if Rome has a lot of beautiful things, it’s different now. You arrived here and you did see it’s immediate beauty. You would have seen the obelisk right when you arrived; it was in the centre of the square.

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