most beautiful villages in Italy Archivi - pino codispoti photographer

Badolato: a mosaic of vistas and ancient silences

PiCo — Tue, 08 Oct 2024 13:42:25 +0000

Badolato stands as a captivating medieval village on the Ionian coast of Calabria, within the province of Catanzaro. The town is renowned for its ancient history and recent urban restoration initiatives. In fact, its extraordinary architecture immediately strikes visitors, offering unforgettable vistas at every turn. Perched firmly upon a hill, the village reveals itself as a historical labyrinth. This dense web of narrow alleys, steep staircases, and small squares opens unexpectedly onto luminous horizons. Consequently, visitors find themselves immersed in an atmosphere suspended between the earth and the sky.
These narrow passages are known locally as rughe and represent the most authentic essence of the town. Since they are often vaulted by supporting arches or nearly interlocking houses, they create evocative tunnels of light and shadow. These paths act as guardians of the town’s secrets. During the walk, the gaze is captured by portals crafted from hewn stone. Many are embellished with noble coats of arms or ancient inscriptions. Therefore, these elements are not merely decorative; they serve as silent witnesses to the past. They reflect the echoes of the colors and daily life of former generations.
The true strength of Badolato lies, however, in its dominant position over the landscape. Thanks to this strategic location, every viewpoint or boundary wall transforms into an unparalleled panoramic terrace. From these vantage points, the view sweeps unobstructed across the Costa degli Aranci and the deep blue of the Ionian Sea. At the same time, turning toward the hinterland allows one to admire the Gallipari stream valley reaching toward the Sila Piccola mountains. Today, this beauty is preserved through significant recovery efforts. Many abandoned houses have found new life thanks to an international community that has passionately restored local materials.

L'articolo Badolato: a mosaic of vistas and ancient silences proviene da pino codispoti photographer.

P_ReESISTENZE: memories of a village

PiCo — Sat, 11 Aug 2018 21:00:50 +0000

P_ReESISTENZE is a photography project that traverses the history of an ancient Calabrian village—Badolato, my birthplace. Specifically, it collects “memories” and traces of its past. These elements have shaped, over time and throughout my career, the poetics and directions of my practice.

By focusing on details and elements that characterize the current urban landscape, I explored the paths that forged my character. These shots capture everything from close-ups of abandoned homes to scattered ruins. In addition, they delve into tiny details of decaying domestic spaces that were once alive and lived-in. Consequently, this journey reshaped my imagination and my relationship with the camera. As a result, it built a dialogue between object and context in every frame to evoke the very soul and spirit of a place.

Indeed, the human presence in this work is found within the nuances. Moreover, objects and residues of lives, now corroded by time and absence, stand as a testament to indelible existences. They represent a story that demands to be reconstructed. Therefore, we must perform a meticulous gathering of what human action produces and has produced throughout its course.

For this reason, this series of images is built around the urgent need to tie back the threads of memory. Every element recalls the theme of human passage and its essence. Meanwhile, the narrative unfolds in a succession of daily life scenes. However, we can only imagine these moments as embedded within the photographs.

Initially conceived as an intimate and private work, this visual narrative soon revealed a broader necessity. It quickly became the perfect opportunity to collectively interpret the memory of the Village. This active engagement is capable of enriching each shot. In fact, every image constitutes an open space. It is a glimpse that activates a deep synergy between those who observe and the one who observed and shot.

Frequently, I asked myself how to embellish these views, which are intense and terrible at the same time. I also wondered how to bring back to light those existences destined for oblivion. Floors, old chipped tiles, collapsed walls, and cracks tell the story of what used to be. These marks look like deep, unhealable wounds. Similarly, rusted doors and handles speak within the powerful dialectic between past and present. Ultimately, this was something I felt compelled to return to the community. My goal was to explore a past that sheds light on the present and points toward a future.

In light of these reflections and intentions, the photography project P_ReESISTENZE naturally required a broader involvement of the community. This group serves as my anchor. This is precisely how the creative workshop P_ReESISTENZE/LAB was born. Furthermore, this laboratory was designed to expand the exhibition path, creating a solid cooperation between the cultural and artistic actors of the region.

The main purpose was to set off a chain of reACTIONS to trigger active participation from the viewer. Thanks to the invaluable collaboration of Vincenzo Squillacioti, the shots were entrusted to the true keepers of our Village’s culture and traditions. Inspired by the images, they shared the history and stories of Badolato. In doing so, they created dedicated captions and shared the creative process of the entire project. Consequently, the journey of the exhibition P_ReESISTENZE has become a choral work entirely dedicated to the practice of memory, which is a collective asset of inestimable value.

BACKSTAGE

L'articolo P_ReESISTENZE: memories of a village proviene da pino codispoti photographer.

Badolato: the village in an evening dress

PiCo — Thu, 18 Aug 2016 00:36:39 +0000

The medieval village of Badolato, suspended between the Ionian hills and the sea, sheds its daily garments to don the timeless elegance of twilight. Indeed, this visual work explores the stunning metamorphosis of the historic center through the transition between night and dawn.
When the sun sets, Badolato wears its finest “evening dress.” Consequently, a delicate embroidery of warm lights reflects on the ancient stones, while deep shadows completely reshape the narrow alleys.

From Twilight to the Awakening of Dawn
The narrative continues smoothly until the exact moment of awakening. Furthermore, this is when the very first lights of dawn begin to lift the night veil from the hills. This natural process beautifully restores the original colors of the village in a slow dance of pastel shades.
Therefore, through these evocative vistas, the intimate soul of a place that never ceases to narrate its own beauty emerges clearly. Ultimately, this transition captures a silent and hidden side of Calabria that travelers rarely get to experience.

L'articolo Badolato: the village in an evening dress proviene da pino codispoti photographer.

most beautiful villages in Italy Archivi - pino codispoti photographer

Badolato: a mosaic of vistas and ancient silences

P_ReESISTENZE: memories of a village

Vernissage at Palazzo Gallelli Badolato

Installation at Palazzo Gallelli Badolato

The story behind an image

Vernissage MANN

Installation MANN

Badolato: the village in an evening dress