Looking at the world from the bottom of a well.
During a road trip through Italy in 2018, I made a stop in the beautiful hilltop town of Orvieto. After spending the morning hours viewing the numerous churches and piazzas in the city center, I walked a series of narrow streets to investigate the famous well on the outer edge.
It is known as the Pozzo di San Patrizio (St. Patrick’s Well) and is a triumph of Renaissance engineering. It was commissioned by Pope Clement VII in 1527 while taking refuge in Orvieto during the “Sack of Rome.” He chose Antonio da Sangallo the Younger to design and build the well as a city water supply in case of siege.
It features two staircases in a double-helix design. Circling the center opening, you can descend to the bottom, and then ascend to the top without encountering any traffic in the other direction (perfect for donkeys hauling buckets up and down). Lighting is provided by arched windows along the two staircases and reaches the bottom depth of 72 meters (174.4 feet).
Incredibly functional, but also surprisingly beautiful when viewed from the bottom.
Entering Warp Drive
This is another image taken in the Toledo Metro Station in Naples, Italy. Earlier this year, I featured an image of the escalator banks at the far end of this hallway - In an Octopus’s Garden.
The passageway features various shades of blue and continues the water theme with light panels of ocean waves. In my opinion, the best feature is the light fixture above. To me, it resembles the USS Enterprise just as it enters warp drive.
Warp speed, Mr. Sulu…
The Hidden Galaxy
Before arriving in Naples, I had researched a building that I wanted to photograph…specifically, its large, grand staircase. The building location is not well known and even though I had found the address online, I walked past it twice before I found the (somewhat) hidden entrance. Tucked in between two retail shops is a small walkway that opens into the interior courtyard of the building. I did not see a way to get inside though and I was a bit puzzled as to how to find this staircase.
Walking back towards the street, I noticed a security guard’s office. I approached him with my camera in hand to ask about the staircase. He instructed me that I could not go up the stairs as it is a private residence. He did, however, agree to allow me take a photo from the lobby floor and pointed to another (somewhat) hidden hallway located behind me.
At the end of that hallway, I entered the lobby and finally saw the staircase with this slender, oval design! It was beautiful, but not large at all. My assumptions were wrong. In reality, the lobby was rather small and narrow…this presented a challenge.
I expected my widest lens would be fine for this shot, but it was not wide enough! The only possibility to fit the staircase in the frame was to get on the floor…so that is what I did. Lying on my back with my legs under the stairs, I slid left & right and back & forth get in this position. With my head near the center of the lobby floor (and with the camera pressed against my face), I was just barely able to squeeze the entire staircase into the frame.
I suspect it would have looked comical to anyone watching this, but in the end, I got the image I wanted. Thanks in part to a kind security guard and the fact that I have a small head. :) Hope you agree that the results were worth getting a little dirty.
Pietrapertosa
First settled in the 8th century BC, Pietrapertosa is a beautiful hill town in Basilicata, Italy.
It sits nestled against the mountains with many homes featuring the bare rock as part of their structure. If you look closely, you can see the natural arch that is at the top of the mountain. There is also a small castle at the top of the mountain, but it is hidden from this viewpoint. From the castle you have amazing views over the valley and the nearby town of Castelmezzano.
When I visited in April, I think I was the only tourist there. I wandered all over the town and even hiked the old Roman path over to Castelmezzano and back. The towns were both quiet, sleepy places, but it was fun to explore them and enjoy the surrounding views.
The first morning I arrived, I started the day here…perched on a wall overlooking the town. As the sun rose behind the mountain, the clouds started to glow and Pietrapertosa greeted me with an amazing sunrise.
In an Octopus's Garden
One of the first things I did upon arriving in Naples was walk down the bustling Via Toledo and descend into the Toledo metro station. Numerous websites and publications proclaim this station as one of the most beautiful in Europe, so I had to see it for myself.
It was 8pm on a Saturday night and it was filled with locals & tourists going to/from the nearby bars, shops and restaurants. People were everywhere as I wandered down escalators, stairways and passageways looking for possible places to photograph. The architecture was interesting, but the scene was chaotic. I decided to wait and return when the station would be less crowded.
The next morning I returned at 6:00 am and was one of the first people through the doors. It felt completely different without the crowds. I could more easily appreciate all of the details in the architecture that were often masked by all of the moving bodies the previous day.
This area was my favorite. As you descend on the escalator, you become surrounded by colorful tiles and waves reaching out of the walls…it feels like you are submerging into an underwater cave.
Since there was no one there, I was able to take some time to capture images at the bottom. I definitely find it to be a unique and beautiful subway station.
Medieval Manhattan
San Gimignano is one of my favorite hill towns in Italy. It’s skyline of towers built in the 1200’s is both unique and impressive. San Gimignano prospered as a key trading town in the early thirteenth century and well off families would build a tower as a show of their wealth. At one point, over 70 towers dominated the town. Today, 13 towers remain and San Gimignano is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, commonly referred to as “Medieval Manhattan"
I highly recommend anyone visiting nearby Florence to take a day-trip here. Get here early in the day though, as tourist buses start arriving mid-morning and the town can be overrun with people in the summer. In the off-season, the town is quiet and peaceful. I took this image a couple of weeks ago in early October and there were only a handful of other tourists. As the sun went down and the lights illuminated the towers, it was a magical scene.
Misty Morning in Val d'Orcia
One of my favorite places in Italy is the Val d'Orcia. It is a beautiful valley in Tuscany that features rolling hills, fields, vineyards, olive groves, those great cypress trees and Medieval castles. In certain spots you have magnificent “big” 360 degree views of the countryside that never fail to impress. It is no wonder that UNESCO included this area on the World Heritage List in 2004.
The first time I visited here in 2010, I was awestruck at the natural beauty of the place. It has inspired numerous artists from the Renaissance to the present day and there are photo opportunities everywhere. What makes it even more fun to photograph, is that the colors change every season and the weather and light have a dramatic effect on the look of the surroundings.
On the morning that I took this image, a light fog filled the low parts of the valley (which happens often here), creating this dreamy scene with the picturesque hilltop farmhouses.
San Giorgio Maggiore at Dawn
Venice is easily one of my favorite cities in Europe. Its narrow winding walkways, numerous bridges and maze of canals make it a truly unique place to visit. I prefer to wander around Venice at night or early in the morning before the crowds of tourists fill the alleyways & piazzas. At these times you have the city to yourself...it is quiet, peaceful, a joy to explore or even get lost (which happens to me frequently due to the twisting passages & canals!) For this image, I awoke around 4:30 am and wandered through St. Marks square in the twilight and completely alone…which was a great experience in itself. As the sun began to rise, I walked down the popular Riva Degli Schiavoni promenade next to St. Mark’s square. This view, looking out over the Grand Canal to the iconic Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, has been photographed countless times…and is one of my favorite spots in the city.
Manarola - A Jewel of Cinque Terre
Earlier this year, I was able to spend 3 days in Cinque Terre “The Five Lands” and explore this beautiful (& somewhat remote) part of Italy. Manarola is the second smallest of these coastal towns on the Ligurian Sea and is perched on a rocky shoreline, with a small harbor and picturesque buildings cascading down the hills. There are no cars allowed here, or in most of the Cinque Terre towns, so catching a train or boat from La Spezia or Pisa is how most tourist arrive. Hiking is popular here with trails connecting all of the towns and providing great views along the coast and through the hillside vineyards. Some of the other towns feature large beaches and attract the sunbathing crowd. Even though Manarola does not have a beach, many still come to swim in the harbor, while the more adventurous dive off of various cliffs entertaining themselves & the tourists in the nearby cafes.
Like most small towns in Italy, I particularly enjoy Manarola after the tourists have left for the day. Once the mid-day crowds have boarded their boats & trains back to the larger cities, you get to calmly experience the town in a more personal fashion...tasting the food and wine of the local artisans, wandering the narrow streets or enjoying gelato while gazing across the harbor and listening to the waves. Manarola is undoubtedly beautiful any time of day, but the serenity added in the evening make it truly a special place.
