Rome

One of my favorite places in Rome is Piazza del Popolo. A vast open space, paved with cobblestones and bordered by an ancient city gate, three churches, numerous sculptures and fountains, and a monumental park descending from the Pincian Hill, it's part outdoor living room and part outdoor museum. And of course it's also a living, breathing Roman square, with scooters, taxis, buses, and cars zipping around its edges. 

The near-twin churches of Santa Maria in Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli hold particular charm for me... I can't seem to photograph them enough!

Cyanotype on watercolor paper, toned in coffee.

Original image taken with a Polaroid and Impossible Project PX600 film. 

Cremona

One of my favorite places from our trip to Italy this spring was the breathtaking medieval cathedral square of Cremona, called Piazza del Comune.

The cathedral, built in the 12th century, is a Romanesque structure that has been updated with Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque elements. To the right is the baptistery, whose origins also lie in the 12th century. The 13th and 14th-centry bell tower is called the Torrazzo, which is supposedly the origin of the name of Cremona's favorite Christmastime treat: torrone.

We spent a couple of hours in this piazza, people watching, exploring the cathedral and baptistery, and soaking in our beautiful surroundings.
Here, la vita is definitely dolce.

Streets of Rome

I've been looking back nostalgically at photos I took of the streets of the Eternal City...

San Giovanni in Laterano

Via dei Fori Imperiali

Piazza del Colosseo

Via del Corso

Piazza Venezia

The Holga in Naples

A few more Holga images from our favorite city:

The 15th century Porta Capuana, next to Santa Caterina a Formiello and not far from where one of our good friends lives.
Ciao, Gianni!

Piazza Bovio

And a muti-city multiple exposure: I took a photo of the Pantheon in Rome, then forgot to advance the film before I photographed laundry in Naples hanging out to dry from a balcony.

Santa Caterina a Formiello

Santa Caterina. I'm not sure I can put into words exactly what it is about this church and this neighborhood that I find so fascinating. But I'll try. I think it has something to do with its thoroughly Neapolitan character: Raw and real, it has the characteristic grittiness of downtown Naples, combined with the energy of scooters, kids kicking orange soccer balls, outdoor markets, and granita kiosks selling various flavors of snow cones. The church's beautiful interior is reason enough to visit, but there's so much more to see. Perhaps parts of Naples are an acquired taste for travelers... but for me, Santa Caterina gives me the thrill of exploring a well-kept secret, an area often overlooked by visitors.

On one of our walks through Naples, I pulled the Holga out of my purse for a quick photo. In the year that had passed since I saw her last, Santa Caterina had lost none of her charm.

Piazza del Popolo through a Plastic Lens

This photo makes me so happy that I'm giving it its own blog post. Taken with a plastic Holga camera loaded with 35mm film and developed in caffenol-c, it shows Piazza del Popolo's quasi-twin churches. I couldn't get enough of this square... there will be more photos of it to come! And if it wasn't before, the Holga is definitely a favorite now.

Rome, Instantly

Fun with Impossible Project's black frame film:
Piazza del Popolo and the view at the top and bottom of the Spanish Steps, respectively.

I love Polaroid cameras.

But I have to admit that they're not always practical, since they're neither slim nor lightweight. But when paired with the Impossible Project's silver shade instant film, they can produce unique and fantastically imperfect travel memories... so I decided that carrying one with me would be worth it. I packed a camera and two packs of film, which I burned through in the first few days of our trip.

One of my first Roman Polaroids: Trajan's Forum, with Trajan's Column and the Church of the Santissimo Nome di Maria in the background.

A must-see (and must-photograph): the Colosseum

And, barely visible, but it's there: the Pantheon

Our visit to Rome wouldn't have been complete without a stroll through Piazza Navona, admiring the Baroque fountains and the original watercolor art for sale.

The Piazza del Popolo has become one of my favorite spots to photograph in Rome. With its spacious size, odd shape, central obelisk, and peripheral statues and churches, there is no shortage of sights (and people) to see. Here, the near-twin churches of Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto mark the end of Via del Corso and the beginning of the piazza. There is something timeless and iconic about them that I just love.

Another area we enjoy exploring is the neighborhood around the Spanish Steps. Most of the area is a pedestrian zone, making it the perfect place to window shop, stop for coffee, observe local produce markets, and just enjoy walking around.
This photo was taken from the top of the steps, looking out over the city.