The Italian architect Lívio Fania, 32 years old, residing in France, is in Cape Verde

The Italian architect Lívio Fania, 32 years old, residing in France, has been in Cape Verde for about two months collecting images, through on-site drawings, to produce an illustrated travel diary of the country.

The young man told Inforpress that this is his first trip to Cape Verde and the first book he will illustrate and write, taking into account that he has already illustrated some magazines, newspapers and other people's books.

Lívio Fania has been in Cape Verde since the end of July, having started his illustrated journey around the island of Sal, then went on to São Vicente, Santo Antão, Fogo and Brava, and is currently on the island of Santiago where it will remain until the end of September.

He explained that the objective of the diary is to tell the story and make Cape Verde discover to other people, as, according to him, there are many tourist guides with photos and tourist places, but he wants to give a “personal and different” view from the existing ones.

“I want to tell the journey through images, the journey through the islands that I'm doing during these two months, a longer time than what tourists normally do, with a more artistic look and through watercolors”, he emphasized.

Asked about the vision, the feeling he already has of the visited islands, where he has already completed the drawings, he limited himself to answering that there is “a lot of diversity” between the islands, even at an aesthetic level, which prevents him from commenting on them in a generalized way.

But, from Brava Island, he revealed that he was “surprised and amazed” by the microclimate, “very different”, and that you can see the difference from area to area, with “a lot of fog, a lot of green and quiet”.

He considered that the island is “a garden” with a fusion between architecture and nature.

On choosing the country to do his work, Lívio Fania explained that he had this curiosity, which arose from Cape Verdean music.

“I play the cavaquinho in a band in France, in which the guitarist is from São Vicente, and as I lived together, a passion for the country's music and an interest in exploring the beauty I had always heard about emerged”, said the same source.

Even so, he regretted the fact that he had not had the opportunity to visit all the islands in the country, having included only five islands in this first phase.

Upon returning to France, he will work on his notes, revise the drawings and work on assembling and editing the diary that he intends to launch next year in France, but with the hope of establishing partnerships with educational and cultural institutions in the country to make the presentation. of his work in Cape Verde.