Literature and identity of places

The contribution presents the theoretical analysis at the base of an experimental research applied to reading, taking into consideration literary texts in which specific “narrative nodes” describe recognizable and geolocalizable places. The assumption is that the mental form of the environment that originates from the narrated events plays an interesting role in understanding the atmosphere of real places: it represents an imaginable scenario that can contribute to defining the identity of real places. In fact, the description of landscapes during reading evokes meanings, emotions, signs and perceptions that are linked to the physical environment. From narrative to odeporic literature, the narrative nodes considered are those in which the description of the territory is the protagonist. The ultimate aim is to verify in which way, and with what results, design of contents can define an increased narrative linked to the geographical space of the story. Design implements a transitive praxis among signs, materials, supports, formats; it interprets the text and manages linguistic models belonging to different worlds. In other words, the role of design is outlined in the creation of a special “paratext”, which is placed in a threshold that lies between the printed paper and the invention of a narrative that is illustrated in immersive environments. Preserving the engaging and intimate nature of the book, and therefore the linearity of traditional reading, is a starting point. The final aim is the twofold one of bringing the users closer to reading and to the narrated territory at the same time.