Small Town – Italy

For those who follow this blog, images of small town architecture are familiar. But these are not from Michigan.

Last week my wife and I were in Italy on vacation and visiting people. I spent some time photographing. These images are not your typical tourist photos of famous sites. Rather, they are scenes from a typical small town in northeastern Italy, in Emilia-Romagna, which is the heartland of Italian agriculture (think balsamic vinegar, for example) and manufacturing (think Ferraris).

First a few images that will look familiarly Italian. The countryside, near a farm to table restaurant where we ate a fantastic six-course meal. A man gesturing at some people outside a pizzeria. And people walking through hundreds-of-years-old covered walkways with modern stores and other businesses.

Next, three somewhat familiar kinds of images–of churches. But not the main church or cathedral at the town or city center. Small, neighborhood churches outside the town center.

And finally, a few images of the modern, post-war part of town, the commercial strip (for those of you in West Michigan, think 28th Street and Plainfield Road in Grand Rapids. The first is a pizzeria. The second is mostly about the name of the business, “New Grease Bar.” Is “grease” a description of the food? Or a reference to the movie? And finally, a couple of a hotel, one just because the clouds were glorious.

Enjoy! Perhaps with a pizza!