With what approach can we navigate toward a better future?

In the southern part of the city of Mantua, in addition to the Upper, Middle and Lower lakes, once stood Lake Paiolo, reclaimed in the 18th century and subsequently drained and enriched with trees in the Napoleonic era. Planted for military purposes, they created an ecosystem with a tree vocation. Today, the Paiolo Valley appears uncontaminated and timeless, even if threatened by recent building speculation. From this awareness was born Spedizione Paiolo, a project that aims to involve the community in a path of rediscovery of the former Lake Paiolo. During three events between December 2024 and February 2025, partici- pants were invited to explore the history and ecological value of the area through walks led by local experts. Each day led to the creation of a symbolic artefact: a map, a flag and a raft, which together compose a navigation.The output is a publishing project that serves as a ‘’travel journal‘’ to tell the story behind every artefact. Composed by three volumes collecting the rou- tes, interviews with the guides and participants’ impressions, it offers different perspectives on the Paiolo Valley. The intention is to show how walking and workshop teaching can become tools to keep alive a collective hope for this place and stimulate reflections on its and our tomorrow.