Written by: Jessie Wittingslow - Aug 2022
There is an ancient road that circles lake Bracciano, hugging its edge, flowing with its twists and turns. When this road arrives at Trevignano Romano from the east, it tunnels through a small space between the water’s edge and the ancient medieval town.
Restaurants have wedged themselves into this space and split themselves in two: their outdoor dining seating on the waters edge and their kitchens in town, with the road running between the two. Traffic flows through the gauntlet slowly, as waiters weave through the oncoming cars, plates of food in their hands.
Snuggled between these restaurants sits Peplo. Its unassuming, easy, and full of light. This is a place for local ladies that love to wear clothes that are effortlessly stylish. You can feel the everyday elegance with ease.
Maria Paola opened Peplo around seven years ago. She moved to Trevignano from the nearby town of Anguillara to be with her husband. When they separated she stayed on. Although there were some difficult moments, she always felt supported by the local community. After a string of different jobs, Maria was dissatisfied. Until one night she had a dream.
Maria’s mother had died young, so when she came to visit Maria in a dream it was nothing unusual. Only that this time it was different. In this dream Maria’s mother held her daughters’ feet in her hands, massaging them, then she looked Maria in the eye and said, tomorrow you will do what you have always dreamed. Just like that the pain in Maria’s feet was gone.
The next day Maria phoned her sister and friend. She wanted to open a shop, could they help her?
Within a month-and-a- half she had opened Peplo. It happened so quickly that Maria found herself with a beautiful space before she even knew what she wanted to put inside! She called around and with a little discernment found some beautiful brands that represented her easy elegant style, perfect for the crowd around the lakes edge.
Maria and her beautiful shop show us that from dreams, things grow, as they have always done in Trevignano. The little medieval town on the lakes edge has never been abandoned, like so many others in Italy. A little town, a close community in which children still play freely in the street. A place where Romans come to eat and relax, and remember life as it once was, far from the manic city. A place in which a dream can change everything.
