Un Paese
in progress | Italy
Tortorella is an Italian village like many others: on its way to disappearance. Its population is aging, with fewer births and more departures. Babies are rare – only every couple of years, if at all. Young adults don't stay, since there are no jobs.
It's a sample of a widespread situation in Europe: deserted villages as a result of the migration of the young to the cities, in search of opportunities. This exodus is leading to the abandonment of entire villages.
In this project, I explore themes of cultural memory, belonging, and the austere dignity of those who remain.
I also have a personal bond with Tortorella: it's where my grandfather was born and where he lived until immigrating to Brazil when he was 18. It is where I went to live for one year and was officially recognized as an Italian citizen. I arrived speaking basic Italian, knowing no one, and left carrying profound connections with its 200 residents.
I see Tortorella’s disappearance, sadly, as almost inevitable. On one hand, daily life feels rich and lively, as the photos often show. On the other, it is decisively emptier as the years pass, and there’s no apparent reversion in sight.
This photographic series grasps the contrasts between the quiet persistence of daily life and the overwhelming sense of loss that surrounds it. Not just as documentary, but as elegy.
This work takes as its inspiration and template the book by photographer Paul Strand and poet Cesare Zavattini, from 1955: Un Paese: portrait of an Italian village.
It portrays Luzzara, a small town in post-war Italy, in the process of reconstruction. With the same spirit I’ve been photographing Tortorella since 2019.
I intend this project as a retake of and homage to Strand's work, and to Tortorella itself.