Where a journey can lead no one is able to know and, probably, its magic lies precisely in this. Magic that guides the research and dissemination activities of Roberto Giacobbo, host of "Freedom" and writer. Today at 5 pm in the Maria Lai room of the University of Cagliari in viale Fra Ignazio, he will present his latest literary effort "Alternative history of the world" on the occasion of the sixteenth edition of the Alziator Prize. A book, released on 8 September 2020, which continues to offer food for thought, establishing an intriguing connection between history and legend, proposing new interpretations and interpretations of past events taken for granted. Many characters and places were reviewed from the submerged pyramid of Yonaguni to Homer, up to the lieutenant colonel of the Red Army Stanislav Petrov passing through the Nuragic civilization and the ancient Shardana.

Giacobbo, after “Notti al parco” in Laconi last summer, returns to Sardinia.

«Yeah, I'm very happy. For me, coming to Sardinia is a moment of extreme passion and great positivity. Not a simple work commitment but an opportunity for growth and an opportunity to make new acquaintances ».

Which places on the island that you haven't seen yet would you like to analyze?

«I had the opportunity to visit Sardinia in depth but the elements to be explored are many. Surely, I would say the tomb of the Giants of Li Mizzani in Palau or the caves of Carloforte such as those of Pulpit and Punta delle Oche ».

In the book he dedicates a chapter to the Nuragic civilization and the Shardana warriors. What elements fascinate you about these two peoples?

«There are many: of the Nuragic civilization I love the way they approached the work of stone, the way of managing it and making it their own. Something extremely precise and unique. Of the Shardana, on the other hand, the character, strength and tenacity, as well as the great organization from a tactical and military point of view ».

In "Alternative History of the World" he also talks about Dante. Which lines of Dante's Comedy would you choose for the island?

“Unfortunately, I don't know Dante's Commedia by heart, even though I am a great admirer of it. Sardinia is splendid, full of stories, with a unique poetic that will never cease to fascinate me ».

In the book you refer to the afterlife, a theme that you have dealt with several times.

“Yes, it is a subject on which I have done a lot of research. There are those who deny regardless of its existence, personally I find it hard to think that it does not exist. The cult of the dead has been active since ancient times, the need to look beyond and see what is after earthly existence. Nobody knows how it will be, it is impossible to imagine it but it is worth doing ".

You define death as another kind of life. Because?

"I don't like talking about death giving it a meaning of end, I prefer to approach in a positive way, imagining a new path that can overcome our expectations and fears".

What can we find between legend and history?

«The attention to detail, the desire to verify and analyze the details, to go deeper into the sources. We constantly travel between legend and history and each of these two aspects can lead us to discoveries that we never would have imagined ».

In conclusion, you use the expression "right eyes". What do you mean?

“Having the right eyes means not stopping, deepening and going further. In history as well as in everyday life, you should never take anything for granted. The magic lies in not giving up searching ».

Mattia Lasio

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