Andato a Monte

I’ve been taking photos for many years. Over the years, I’ve realized that I enjoy photographing places, whether deserted or crowded—because in them, like in people, there’s a soul that speaks to their history.

One of my favorite places as a photographer is this one. It’s an abandoned Austrian fortress that offers highly photogenic perspectives. It’s located overlooking the Adige Valley in northern Italy, in a position that allows you to see for several kilometers. But despite the breathtaking view it offers, this abandoned architecture remains the protagonist of the photos.

Years ago, when I learned about this place, I remember being overcome with enthusiasm and visiting it with a Rolleiflex, taking numerous shots with black and white film. At the time, I worked in a printing factory that printed Koudelka’s books, and I asked my colleagues to post-process and print those photos in the style of the great artist. I had seen his work taken with a panoramic camera and fell in love with his framing and the depth of black he achieved.

The result I achieved was much more modest, but for me, as a novice photographer, it was exceptional: this ruined fortress, captured on a cloudy day, was for me a visual metaphor for our times. I was happy with the result.

Proud of that work, I sent it to a photography contest. After a few months, the Koudelka-style duotone prints were returned: a sign that the work wasn’t worthy of being shown. No reason given, just an unwritten no.

Since then, this place has been a symbol of the fact that only I understand my photos. And since then, I haven’t entered any more photography contests.
It’s no coincidence that the place where this fortress is located is called “Monte,” and in Italian “mandare a monte” means to interrupt a planned project, to fail to complete something…

Despite everything, I haven’t lost my love for photography, and I return every now and then because this place remains an excellent photography training ground. These photos were taken with a Nikon F2 with an 18mm lens and Fomapan 100 film.

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