Marozia consists of two cities: the city of the rat and the city of the swallow.
Note
A sibyl foretold that in Marozia the city of the swallow would free itself from the city of the rat. Marco finds narrow, low alleys where everyone scurries like rats. And yet, he says, for a moment, at a gesture, at a way of walking, the walls open and a light, airy city appears, full of movement; then it closes, and it is the rat’s city again.
In the scene the city of the rat is a tangle of heavy blocks, narrow alleys roofed over with slabs. Hidden in the same volume is the city of the swallow: slender poles, stretched sails, light terraces. Down in the alleys something is always scurrying: dark streaks darting from corner to corner, stopping, darting again, raising a thread of dust.
Touch a wall: the blocks draw apart, and for a few seconds the light city unfolds upward in the gap, before the walls close again. Touch again nearby, and the gap widens: the more you look, the more you see.
Quotations are brief excerpts for the purpose of commentary. The full text is available in published editions. The Cities of Ottavia, Valdrada & the soundtrack are inspired by "Monument Valley" from ustwo games.