I watched a good movie on Netflix titled Made In Italy. The moment I discovered that part of the storyline revolved around the restoration of a villa in Tuscany, I was all in. After seeing the movie, I made a quick Google search. I found that the house featured in the film is Villa Fontanelleis a private villa near Montalcino, Italy. Interestingly, parts of the villa’s interior were “deconstructed” to appear old and shabby, adding authenticity to the film’s story. Some scenes were filmed in the village of Monticchiello, including the restaurant, the Ristorante Il Bronzino. I love research.
How many people do you know who admit to fantasizing about a move to Italy or living in a charming cottage in the Cotswolds? I’ve read at least a dozen memoirs about individuals who sell everything, take the money, and pursue their dream. It takes guts to make such a bold move, and I admire their courage.
In my fantasy, I would take myself off to Lucca, Italy or Burford, England, a place I’ve written about in two of my novels. This is a better choice because learning a new language would be hard. My Spanish professor at the University of Kentucky gave me a passing grade to get rid of me. He knew that a failed grade would keep me from initiation in my sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma. Bless him! Like a Hallmark film that has countless variations on this ‘move to your dream spot,’ these stories always end with a kiss after saving the ranch, the vineyard, the family home owned for several generations. I like that.
After watching Made In Italy, I found myself once again drawn to my go-to website, Mainstreetrockymount.com, which is always on my mind. The soundtrack of revitalization in Rocky Mount features a symphony of hammers and saws, the crash of demolition debris landing in dumpsters, the chatter of workers, and the thud of a pallet of bricks being delivered. There is the distinct pop of a paintlid being pried open.
I love capturing the progress around me with my camera. Two moments stand out: a friendly wave from a roofer working on a bungalow on Howell Street and a construction worker on Howard Street, laughing with his crew while framing a second-floor. As I got ready to take some photographs, one joked, “Look busy, men!”
I once recorded a cement truck pouring a new driveway. It doesn’t take much to make me happy; witnessing the preservation, restoration, and repurposing of Rocky Mount’s commercial and residential architecture. Each project has its own unique theme music with an ensemble of different elements.
If Rocky Mount were a movie set, the filmmakers could tell their story using one of the shotgun houses, a bungalow, the Victorians, the four square, etc. In the contract, I would be sure it included a signed agreement to complete the renovation of their choice after the filming takes place.
Main Street Rocky Mount 