Mediterranean color and scent

The Mediterranean, with its richness of colours, scents and stories, has the unique power to unite people through a shared passion for its natural and cultural beauty.

It is this love for the sea that binds Simone Pazzano , journalist and digital strategist, to the mission of our brand, which transforms the sails of the Mediterranean into sustainable design creations.

Milanese by adoption but Genoese by birth, Simone brings with him an indissoluble bond with the sea which emerges both in his work and in his daily activities. His ability to narrate and deep connection with the Mediterranean resonate with the essence of Rivelami, where each product tells a story of travel and transformation.

In this exclusive interview for Rivelami, Simone shares how the Mediterranean influences his life and work, exploring themes such as the importance of lighthouses, perfumes that evoke memories and the customization of products that bring a piece of the sea into the hands of design lovers.

Join us in celebrating this shared passion, as we discover how the Mediterranean continues to influence and inspire from Genoa to Milan, from Rivelami's products to Simone's stories.

 

• Simone, although you now live in Milan, your connection with Genoa and the sea is evident. Could you share how this maritime heritage influences your approach to work and your daily routines?

 

On a character level, I think that the connection with the sea has led me to be curious, to deeply explore themes and places, and to never lose sight of the horizon. I feel like my passion for stories and my work writing and creating content comes from this connection.

Over the course of the day, let's say that even when I'm not at the seaside I look for ways to find myself there anyway: whether it's a book, a bottle of wine from a specific area or traveling online among photos and videos that can comfort and inspire me.

In this case, it is a work of visual research that I do both personally and as a professional and, therefore, creative study. It is no coincidence that I have chosen to combine my daily commitments with a newsletter entirely dedicated to the sea.

 

 

• In your recent newsletter, you recommended a book about Mediterranean lighthouses. What is the personal meaning of lighthouses in your life and how do they relate to your vision of the Mediterranean

 

The headlights match the more solitary and contemplative trait of my character.

I have always found them places full of charm due to their privileged position, the total absence of distractions and the crucial role they had for sailors.

They are symbols of guidance and hope, points of reference that have allowed generations of sailors to orient themselves in the darkest nights.

For me, lighthouses represent a profound connection with the sea and the history of the Mediterranean.

Each lighthouse tells stories of journeys, of dangers overcome and of returns home. The fact that many of them are now automated saddens me, because they lose that direct human contact that made them even more special.

But their charm remains intact.

 

 

• The Giraglia bag by Rivelami has been colored with "rosemary" to evoke the scent of the Mediterranean scrub. Is there a particular aroma or color that instantly takes you back to a memory of the Mediterranean?

 

I am deeply attached to the scent and taste of wild fennel.

Because it takes me back to childhood, to Sunday afternoons spent in the countryside with my parents, picking plants and vegetables and playing football.

Even now, when I eat it, I find it is that extra touch in the dishes that gives taste, aroma and at the same time excites me.

If we talk more about the sea, however, I like the strong and intense smell of the velelle - even if it disturbs many - and their beautiful blue.

 

 

• Recently Reveal Me introduced the ability to customize the coordinates on their Sailor Bags . If you had to choose a place in the Mediterranean to customize a product, where would it be and why?

 

 

I think I would choose the coordinates of the house where I grew up, in Pietra Ligure.

It is on that balcony overlooking the sea that I began to love everything that is marine: the different sound of the waves depending on the day, the colors of the sea that change according to the climate and the seasons, and the smell of the salt that permeates the 'air.

I spent a lot of time there, almost in contemplation, enjoying that natural spectacle and thinking.

That balcony was my first observation point on the marine world, the place where I learned that the sea is always different and that this variability is what makes it fascinating.

 

 

• The " Genoa " bag is part of the Mediterranean line and celebrates the city as the cradle of great navigators. What is your personal connection with Genoa and how do you think the city has influenced your view of the world?

Genoa is the city that I lived during my university days, when I began to train both personally and professionally.

I immediately loved its traditions (musical and cultural, above all), its layout between the sea and the mountains, its colours...

But if I have to identify the influence he had on me, it is certainly the passion for the great port cities of the Mediterranean.

Those chaotic places, where everything mixes: strong smells, flavours, traditions, languages ​​and ethnic groups.

With Genoa, a passion was born in me which then involved several other cities, each with its specific characteristics, but above all Marseille, Naples, Trieste and Istanbul.

 

 

• What advice would you give to our readers who wish to explore the Mediterranean, whether physically or through reading or other digital media?

 

Reading and traveling are certainly the two best ways to explore our sea.

For those who really want to study it and get to know it in depth, with its history and the contradictions that have always characterized it, I recommend reading Fernand Braudel 's books.

But also a gem like the “Mediterranean Breviary” by Predrag Matvejevic. For an easier approach, the edition of The Passenger (Iperborea) dedicated to the Mediterranean is also very beautiful.

For those who want to focus on the more naturalistic aspect, I suggest the “ Mediterranean. Life under siege ” on RaiPlay, which tells the wonder of the creatures that populate our sea and the risks they run.

As far as travel is concerned, I don't feel like directing one towards one destination rather than another, but rather suggesting an attitude.

That is to be guided by curiosity, by the desire for discovery and, why not, a little by chance too. Both to be surprised by the thousand faces of the Mediterranean, and to get away from the usual "routes" of mass tourism which are causing great damage to this little-big paradise of ours.

 

 

A big thank you to Simone Pazzano for bringing us, with his reflections and memories, a little closer to the meaning of the Mediterranean.

For all of you who feel the call of the Mediterranean, don't miss the opportunity to take a look at our bags.

Whether it's the customizable Sacca Marinaio or the Giraglia bag that captures the essence of Mediterranean rosemary, there's something special for everyone. Take a look at our online shop and find your piece of the sea.

Let's move forward with this adventure, letting the Mediterranean guide us towards new discoveries of style and sustainability.

We can't wait to see where it takes us!

 

 

SIMONE CRAZY:

Curious by nature, journalist and digital strategist by profession. I write about everything that has an exciting story to tell, especially the food & beverage world. I edit two newsletters: "Onde", dedicated to communication issues and " Blu Mediterraneo ", for sea lovers.