Stabilitas Loci

I have been traveling and searching for ancient trees all around Italy. They have specific characteristic : exceptional size, unique forms, esthetic qualities and historical value. But, other than that, I am interested in their strength and in the sense of endurance they communicate. And I am puzzled by the concept of “Stabilitas loci”. This principle , meaning “live firmly in a place”, is one of the cornerstones of Western monasticism introduced by the Rule of St. Benedict in the sixth century. Which also means the ability to live a life and survive in the same place. In the case of these trees for centuries. With a clever adaptation to the seasonal rhythm of the weather, the climate change, the geographical uniqueness. Trees have developed a very specific intelligence, very different from ours. They are sophisticated, complex and advanced organisms. I choose to shoot in color, digital, small format, because I wanted to be open, elastic and light, not with the burden of technical, bulky equipment. I wanted to have the opportunity of making a research without the technical obsession. I chose to work also with diptychs and triptychs because this gave me the opportunity to communicate the height, the wideness, the breadth. Every single tree is a unique portrait.