The many faces of Cagli create an intricate social web. Each individual has a story--a thread that intersects with the lives of neighbors, friends, and family.

Simple daily activities include strolling through the Wednesday market to buy formaggio in the rain. Two old men shout, "Cheese!" from a window as their picture is snapped from below while two cheerful women across town watch and wave to passersby on Via Celli.

The web of life in Cagli spins from friendships that last from cradle to grave. Every afternoon fathers and grandfathers sit side by side with lifelong friends at the Town Hall in the Piazza Matteotti or along the river's edge. Still fresh are their memories of the days when they rushed to the piazza for an after-school treat like the girls across the square who share a gelato under an umbrella.

Teenagers at Café Saccaria speak of their ambitions: 16-year-old student Chiara dreams of becoming a high fashion model; her mysterious blue eyes gaze into the future.

Meanwhile, in a nearby café, 73-year-old Iride Falcone pauses as she recounts the colorful stories of her past. This dichotomy binds Cagli in the hope of its young and the nostalgia of its old.

Every person, every family, and every place has a story, each as complex as the rich history of the city itself.

June 2002