Italy is a colorful travel destination sprinkled with amazing scenery topped with its rich culture. A country adorned with picturesque historical buildings and urban bistros and restaurants. Featured in Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestseller, Eat, Pray and Love, Italy is full of beautiful sceneries away from its heart the Rome. Civita di Bagnoregio incessantly bugs accolades for being travelers’ favorite. Just an hour north of Rome, Civita is historically celebrated as the birthplace of Saint Bonaventure. It is one of Italy’s hill town, less known after Assisi and Siena, the dead city is a jewel in the hills.
While admired for its architectural wonders, the city faces a persistent danger of erosion. Over the years, some of the buildings have crumbled away due to the friable erosion washing away the underlying support. The lumber of soil that connected Civita to its busier sister Bagnoregio has worn away. As of today, what remains as the only entrance and exit is a footbridge. This village town stunningly stands unaltered having survived brutal geological processes and raging two world wars. The town is perched on the very top of a plateau overlooking the Tiber river valley.
Romance at the Romanesque
One of our clients Renee, recently contacted us for a shoot at the Jewel in the Hills. She specifically chose the scene as it is her husband’s favorite. Renee settled for a shoot at sunrise or preferably late in the afternoon or even better at sunset. Our local photographer in Rome, Luca was excited to take up the shoot for the lovely couple. He managed to balance in between sunrise, afternoon as well as the golden hour.
Up and Close
The main entrance is a huge stone passageway that was sculpted Etrucans and decorated much later on with a Romanesque arch. Heading up the Civita, Luca captures amazing intimate photos of the couple. The footbridge is exquisite, as it beholds a beautiful green view of the underlying valley and highlights the topological grimace of the friable volcanic tuff. The rails are a perfect detail for the footbridge. Passing through the portal with the smooth cobblestones on the floor, the scene is stuck in the ancient.
Middle Ages
The warm stone walls have a glow that compliment a great photo. Inside, Civita is a town in the nude with its subtle charm. Each lane and footpath is a unique masterpiece with a curtailed detail. The local photographer played around with the diversity of detail in the lanes to capture an arcade of touristic eye of the couple.
Sometimes, ivy drapes dangled over the arches, forming a perfect frame for a great photo. Other times, the ivy drapes scrambled up the walls and potted flowers paraded across balconies. The stairways added a perfect dessert to the camera.
Picturesque
Fancy wooden doors, grand windows, dining tables with cellars and chimneys form a perfect renaissance. The photographer captures amazing photos of the couple in this homely scenery throwing in a different shade from the historical façade.
The city’s famous founder St. Bonaventure’s home was eroded away eons ago. However, his grid plan survived alongside the resilient city. He had the church as the centerpiece of the historical maze. The talented photographer manages to creatively frame in the vintage church into the shoot.
