Rome in Rome

This landscape series, which I initiated in 2020, takes its title from a poem written by Joachim du Bellay in 1558 during his stay in Rome.

The locations and neighborhoods photographed are mostly situated outside the ancient Aurelian Walls, away from the historic center. It is a working-class city at the edge of the campagna romana. Neglected vegetation pierces through stone and asphalt, spilling over onto sidewalks and climbing over fences; trees are omnipresent: pines, plane trees, oaks, chestnuts, palms… Fragments of ruins mingle with contemporary constructions, serving as a reminder of the long history of these sites. A few figures cross the images or appear to pose from a distance. One can see vernacular dwellings—remnants of the settlements inhabited until the 1970s by Italians who came from the South in search of work—housing complexes from various eras, agricultural fields, public parks stretching as far as the eye can see, vast wastelands, and the major roads leading out of Rome.

Meeting the Stalker group, composed of architects and engaged citizens, played a significant role from the very beginning of this photographic work. Following Stalker on their walks to the fringes of Rome allowed me to discover secluded places where various forms of survival and resistance are hidden. The group’s long-standing reflection on urbanity resonated with my photographic approach—particularly their attention to the emergence of the selvatico (the wild/sylvan) as a source of richness and diversity, far removed from controlled nature.

In 2023, after three years of work, I exhibited 54 contact prints of 4×5 inch negatives from my archives at Espace Pianobi, a gallery located in one of the photographed neighborhoods. The exhibition, curated by Alessandro Dandini de Sylva, presented the contact prints on a table following the chronological order of the shoots and their classification in my archives. By precisely naming each photographed location in the style of street signs with their illustrious names, the captions revive the memory of Rome within the Rome of today.

Nouveau venu, qui cherches Rome en Rome (Newcomer, Who Seeks Rome in Rome) received support for contemporary documentary photography from the CNAP (National Center for Visual Arts).

This gallery presents a selection from the series. The book is currently in preparation…