Not a voice can be heard coming from the windows of the medieval buildings, shuttered tightly to prevent the sun from piercing cool interiors. It is early afternoon and the Piazza Matteoti lies deserted for pausa . The small shops close their doors from midday to early evening to allow proprietors time for the day's main meal with their families. The heavy stone portals and thick wooden doors will open once more in the early dusk, around 5 p.m. The Cagliesi, fed and rested, will flock to the cobblestone square, greeting one another with the traditional three cheek-to-cheek kisses in the refreshing evening air. "Ciao, Bicio," shouts a middle-aged woman, clutching a colorful cup of gelato . The crowd of familiar faces gradually gathers at the doors of Caffe del Commercio, where Fabrizio and his brother Pierregiorgio (nicknamed Bicio and Dodo respectively) welcome each regular with grins and acknowledging nods. "Una birra?" Bicio asks with a gleam in his eyes. Friends and lovers embrace before settling into molded plastic chairs around small cloth-covered tables. Cigarettes in one hand and Bicio's famous concoctions close to the other, barely a hand is free to punctuate the animated conversation about the day's events. Baby-faced boys zip about the piazza on their moto , their eyes scanning for friends. Underneath the darkening sky and orange street lamps, it seems they have not a care in the world. The throng continues to grow. A handsome man calls to a friend who has just left his car to stroll leisurely towards the Caffe. Their hands move rhythmically as they speak of another comrade, Gino, absent from this evening's gathering due to a local soccer tournament. Come the morning, the shops will prop open their doors, the protective awnings will unfurl, and the gentle smiles of the Cagliesi will invite a "buon giorno." The easy gait of the polizia in his crisp blue uniform, the gun at his hip appearing unnecessary, moves him slowly across the piazza to speak to a graying barber. It is a serene scene, typical of this community of little more than 9000 inhabitants. Nestled in the valley of three grand mountains (Monte Petrano, Catria, and Nerone) and embraced by two rivers (the Bosso and Burano), Cagli seems a paradise. With Monte Petrano watching from a distance, like a wise ancient who has witnessed all since the advent of time, the narrow city streets, shuttered palazzi, and the impenetrable torrione are masterpieces of artifical creation. But Cagli is more than a city of vistas and antiquated buildings. Although every inhabitant describes the town as tranquilla, where there are people, there are social problems. According to Mayor Domenico Papi, the youth experiment with drugs with the curiosity of adolescents worldwide. "It is not simply Cagli," he says. In Papi's eyes, Cagli is a quiet, safe town. The only thieves and criminals are strangers, unknown to the small population. "Crime in Cagli?" Ediberto Caselli looks disbelieving. For Caselli, a local polizia, the thought is impossible in a town where "everyone knows your name."

Graphic Design: Alexandra Samet Design Production: Alexandra Samet Writing: Anna Yost Photography: Anna Yost Video: Joseph Salvati

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