Amateur
Photography:
Walking
with Gerardo in the Apulian alleys
Interview with Gerardo Narcisi
by Maria Teresa De Donato
Photography is an art and also a great passion of mine. Until now I had not talked about it in any of my interviews.
Today I am happy to do so
with Gerardo Narcisi who – he is keen to point out – is not a professional
photographer but only an amateur.
With Gerardo we will
tour, even if only virtually, the alleys of some towns in the Itria Valley and
the surrounding countryside, savoring a lifestyle that has kept intact its
ancient charm and seems to have stopped in the mists of time.
The Itria Valley, which
coincides with the southern part of the Murge plateau, is also known as the
"Valley of the Trulli" and extends between the provinces of Bari,
Taranto, and Brindisi.
MTDD: Hi, Gerardo, and
welcome to my Virtual Cultural Salon.
GN:
Good morning Maria Teresa, thanks for the invitation.
MTDD: Gerardo, why don't
you introduce yourself and tell us a little about yourself?
GN:
My name is Gerardo Narcisi. I was born in Martina Franca on April 23, 1962,
where I live. I am married and currently retired. I worked from a very young
age in the engineering sector at the "BELLELI" company in Taranto.
MTDD:
By profession, you have, therefore, been a metalworker all your life.
How and when did your
love for photography start?
GN:
My attraction to photography was born during my military service when I met a
fellow soldier whose father ran a camera shop. It was there that I bought my
first camera, a Nikon FM2, and photography has become a great passion for me
ever since.
MTDD: What do you like to
photograph most of all?
GN:
What I love the most is to take pictures of nature and landscapes ...
MTDD: Have you ever used
photography for professional purposes?
GN:
No, but for years I have been a member of the Castrum Martinae Cultural Association,
where I currently hold the position of photo and video operator.
MTDD:
Let's begin, therefore, our tourist itinerary starting right from your city,
Martina Franca, an agricultural center famous for its beautiful Baroque-style
buildings, that was born as a village in the 10th century even if it seems that
as an area it has already been inhabited since the Neolithic until the 4th
century AD.
Would you, please, describe
these images of Martina Franca (Taranto):
GN:
In the first photo (A) we can admire Piazza Roma where the Palazzo Ducale
overlooks. Its center is enriched by the Fountain of the Dolphins. From this
square, you can access Corso Vittorio Emanuele, the so-called "Ringo"
where the people of Martina love to stroll (photo B)
The other two photos are
some of the most evocative corners of the historic center and precisely Via
Toledo (photo C) and Via Manzoni (photo D).
GN: Piazza Roma with the Doge's Palace and the Dolphin Fountain
Photos A), B) and C)
GN:
Photo A) Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Photo B) Via Toledo. Photo C) Via A. Manzoni
GN: This is the night view
of Piazza Plebiscito which overlooks the University building with the clock
tower.
MTDD: Let's now continue with the town of Locorotondo, (Bari), which dates back to the year 1000 and is connected to the figure of San Giorgio Martire and the cult of the Madonna della Catena.
Can you describe these photos to us?
Photos D), E) and F)
GN: These photos represent the characteristic of the historic center of Locorotondo; you can see, in fact, wonderful views between houses and whitewashed streets, alleys, suggestive corners with stairways, and flowered balconies.
GN: This is an image that portrays part of the so-called "promenade" viewed from below where you can see the typical "cummerse" houses with sloping roofs.
GN: This photo also shows Locorotondo seen from the distance in spring with the flowery fields.
GN: This photo portrays, instead, Locorotondo with a purely autumnal view.
MTDD:
Now it is the turn of Ceglie Messapica (Brindisi), recognized as a city of
art and a land of gastronomy, whose territory is famous for its trulli,
farms, centuries-old olive groves, and karst caves.
What can you tell us
about this equally suggestive town?
Photos G), H) and I)
GN: Indeed, Ceglie Messapica is one of the oldest medieval villages in Puglia, part of the Itria Valley. It stands on a hilly relief in the southern part of the Murge. It is known – as you mentioned – also for the marvelous Caves of Montevicoli of karst origins rich in concretions, stalactites, and stalagmites with imaginative and bizarre shapes.
MTDD:
The craftsmanship, including these beautiful specimens of gigantic 'doilies',
seems to have survived in these places, in fact, we have some splendid examples
both in Ceglie and in Locorotondo, as we see in the following photos.
What can you tell us about it?
GN: This is the novelty of 2021. In Locorotondo the project was created by artist Bernardo Palazzo in collaboration with the Luzzart Association. The installation is entitled "Firmament" and was commented by its artist as follows: "In the fields and alleys of Puglia, large bales of hay join the doilies as white as full moons. The wheat symbol of fertility in ancient civilizations welcomes doilies similar to large Magdala, ancient drawings, and sacred representations of the Cosmos. Sun and Moon meet timeless in an installation that wants to be a hymn to nature, to its beauty and divine power.”
MTDD:
Superb initiative and congratulations to Artist Bernardo Palazzo and the
Luzzart Association for making it happen. Of course, when we talk about Puglia,
we cannot fail to refer to Alberobello (Bari), certainly one of the best known
and famous places for its characteristic trulli, a town that since December 6,
1996, UNESCO has named "World Heritage Site"…
To those who have never
visited these places, especially Alberobello, what advice can you give?
GN:
At least once in a lifetime it is worth visiting our Apulia and in particular
Alberobello with its beautiful and unique trulli, the famous buildings typical
of our territory made of dry stone and covered in lime with a cone-shaped roof.
The other characteristic of our places is the food and wine that must be explored.
MTTD:
The trulli – we want to remember – are very ancient and equally particular
conical constructions in dry stone, typical of central-southern Apulia.
My final question to you
is: What does the Trullo mean for an Apulian?
GN:
Trulli for us from Apulia mean "origins" because they were the homes
of our ancestors and where all our traditions were born.
MTDD: Thank
you, Gerardo, for this beautiful walk, for your photos, and for having acted as
our Cicero (= Tour director) among these evocative alleys and beautiful natural
landscapes.
It was my pleasure hosting
you.
GN:
The pleasure was mine.… Thank you.
