Sternatia launches video game LAMPA to promote Salento heritage

The Salento village of Sternatia (pop. 2,000) presented LAMPA – Sternatia, il borgo che vorrei, a festival from late May to early June 2026, using a mobile video game and immersive art to boost cultural tourism. Curated by Gianni Sportelli and Michele Massaro, the PNRR-funded project includes a reprint of Paolo Stomeo's Racconti greci inediti di Sternatìa (Kurumuny edizioni), immersive installations by Massimiliano Siccardi, and the urban mobile game Lampa for Android and iOS. The game teaches the local Griko dialect and guides players through historic architecture and legends. Co-artistic director Raffaela Zizzari emphasized the game aims to serve existing tourism, not create new demand. The festival also featured community theater by Fabrizio Saccomanno and a Farma Lab co-working space. Critic Matteo Lupetti noted the game follows a quiz-like model of history, questioning its long-term sustainability given political shifts and Apple's policy of removing unupdated apps after three years. Former mayor Massimo Manera expressed dissatisfaction with current mayor Gabriele Candito's handling of the project.