Invisible Cities Response: Maurilia

Maurilia strongly reminds me of a lot of the European cities/towns that I used to visit. In Maurilia, travelers are encouraged to glorify what Maurilia used to be: a quaint rural town with no particular distinctions. This old Maurilia is preserved and portrayed through postcards indicating where things used to be — for example, a hen in place of a bus stop. The idea is that the modernity of current Maurilia contrasting with the rural feel of old Maurilia is meant to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia. However, the two versions of Maurilia are arguably too different to be considered the “same” Maurilia; rather, it would be more suitable to consider them as two cities coincidentally with the same name.

In terms of a real-life equivalent to Maurilia, the city of Graz, Austria comes to mind. Graz is now the second-largest city in Austria behind Vienna; it is often characterized as an odd combination of future and past. One notable area is located around Kunsthaus Graz, a strangely-shaped art museum that runs on solar power. The museum itself is a stark contrast to the more conventional/traditional buildings around it and serves as a distinct example of the aforementioned “future meets past.” The tourism markets itself similarly; guides often point out what landmarks “are” as opposed to what they “used to be.” It seems that in the perspective of Graz’s inhabitants, there exists a clear divide between Graz now and Graz before, even though the two intermingle within the same space.

Graz - Cities of Design Network
Landscape of Graz
Kunsthaus Graz - Wikipedia
Kunsthaus Graz

Note: Reposted due to odd error/oversight.

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