From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Castelmezzano is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni of Albano di Lucania, Anzi, Laurenzana, Pietrapertosa, Trivigno.
The origins of Castelmezzano date to approximately between the 6th and 5th centuries BC, when Greek settlers in the valley of penetrarono Basento and founded a town called Maudoro, meaning roughly the world of gold. In the 10th century AD, the Saracen invasions forced the local population to find a new location. It is said that during the exodus, a pastor called Paolino discovered a place to move, formed by rocks from the steep peaks which could repel the invaders by means of rolling stone boulders on to the invaders.
After occupation by the Lombards, the Normans settled there between the 11th and 13th century AD and built a castle (the remains of which the walls and tier of rocks allowed access to the higher lookout point are still visible). It was from the name of the castle (Castrum Medianum, roughly means Castle in the Middle) that the town derived it name, the castle so named because of its position between those of Pietrapertosa and Albano di Lucania. With the Normans, Castelmezzano experienced a period of peace and development, until the Angevins experienced a sharp decline. In 1310, the municipality was entrusted to the Diocese of Potenza (PZ) and in 1324 to that of Acerenza.
With the arrival of the Aragonese, between the 14th and 16th century, many landowners received Castelmezzano as feudo, although the economic and social conditions remained mostly unchanged. Only with the appointment of Baron Giovanni Antonio De Leonardis (whose family governerned the town from 1580 to 1686), did development take place. Subsequently, it passed by marriage to the De Lerma, who remained until 1805, when feudalism was on the verge of extinction in southern Italy.
In the 19th century, Castelmezzano was affected by brigandage. Due to its location, rich in natural hiding places among the rocks and lush vegetation, it was an ideal refuge for many bandits. At the end of the century, the town suffered a major migratory exodus, which prompted many families to move overseas.
Critiques | Translate
jjcordier (76858) 2011-08-27 1:13
Une belle composition et une image symbolique avec cette femme qui a dû affronter le chemin escarpé de la vie symbolisé par cet escalier.
fds (8390) 2011-08-27 1:19
bellissima immagine di questo borgo con una delle sue cittadine
ottimo punto di ripresa e prospettiva silvio
snunney (84887) 2011-08-27 1:39
A fine composition with a story to tell - this lady taking advantage of the bench before climbing back up the steps. I like the expression on her face deep in thought.
dip (23632) 2011-08-27 1:43
very nice capture of this simple but beautiful street scene,I like the details,the old woman is perfectly placed in the picture,
siudzi (33973) 2011-08-27 1:56
A nice image of this nice street and an old lady. Her presence here is for sure a plus for that picture. Like her expression and pose. Well done.
Have a good day! Malgorzata
daddo (24406) 2011-08-27 2:06
Ciao Silvio. A moment to rest and to think about the friends that have gone or maybe just what to cook for lunch. Nice moment in everyday life. Lovely POV. When I see these sorts of steps in old Mediterranean towns, i think of how fit the people must be to negotiate these steps every day. Ciao. Klaudio.
dale54 (6629) 2011-08-27 2:17
silvio love this alot!crystal clear!what a relaxing shot,have a great weekend!
Ricx (13495) 2011-08-27 4:08
Hi Silvio, I wonder? you have caught her mood- I like how you have added depth to the image with the pathway and steps.. well done Rich
krzychu30 (15498) 2011-08-27 5:05
very nice combination of architecture and daily life photography.Thanks to the capture of this old lady,you´ve managed to show her mood and create thereby unique atmosphere of the whole scene.Thank you also for very imformative Note bringing us closer the story of this place.
Have a nice weekend
Sergiom (61132) 2011-08-27 5:32
Un très beau portrait de cette vieille dame qui passe le temps sur son banc. La contre plongée est du plus bel effet et le cadrage vertical est bien choisi.
francio64 (38276) 2011-08-27 5:58
scusa, io non voglio dirlo, ma... non possiamo negare l'evidenza dei fatti.
Qui ci sta una vecchietta e non una giovane ragazza.
Vedi? Non c'è bisogno che ti dedico io una foto con la vecchietta.
A quanto sembra, ci stai pensando tu da solo ad autodedicartela. Ahahahahah! :P
Una buona foto per Google Maps.
Ormai hai fotografato tutti i vicoli d'Italia :)
Charo (51210) 2011-08-27 6:41
Que cosa pensa la vecchia signora...? O forse si sta facendo una pausa prima di andare su per la collina...
Molto buona la cattura e la composizione di questa stradina.
Ottima luce e profondità molto buona e dettagli.
Nicou (123236) 2011-08-27 7:16
superbe compo et iamge, mangigique quel captage de cette dame dans le escalier, quelle eprspective, superbe ensemble. graphique et portrait.
Bravo et amitié
npecanhuk (66324) 2011-08-27 8:27
Sharpness, exposure, chosen pov, dof, colors, vertical format, slim black borders, contrasts and composition are all very good features here and really pleased me!
TFS - congrats,
Sonata11 (33283) 2011-08-27 8:31
fantastic image of this simple but beautiful unique architecture, street scene of daily life. I like this details of this image.The old lady is in perfectly placed in the picture. Her expression on her face can tell us a lot.
Perfectly well done!
I love it.
All the best and have a nice WE,
Robert1969 (7104) 2011-08-27 10:22
This picture has a great composition and a
Also is the picture timeless and tells more
than a thousand words.....Great work.
Friendly regards and have a nice weekend,
romanaa (7966) 2011-08-27 11:41
picture with a strong mood of solitude and contemplation given by the lady's expression - undisturbed by the external happenings.
Budapestman (82620) 2011-08-27 16:35
a beautiful photo with splendid composition, the atmosphere of the photo is nostalgic, great impression, Tfs! Have a nice Sunday! Kellemes Vasárnapot kívánok!
Cricri (107274) 2011-08-28 0:13
Beau portrait de cette dame assise et pensive, belle montée de ces escaliers, détails et couleurs, belle composition
Beau dimanche mon ami
danos (87475) 2011-08-28 1:22
nice the snapshot with the old woman to sit on the stone made bench thinking her past life.The narrow alley creates depth and perspective in the image.
Have a good Sunday,Danos
lousat (77804) 2011-08-28 1:26
Ciao Silvietto,oggi pendiamo a destra ma non importa,la foto e' davvero bella,lo specialista dei vicoli ci offre una magnifica composizione con la chicca della comparsa ingaggiata per l'occasione..ehehe..complimenti e buona Domenica,Luciano
Schnappilic (9690) 2011-08-28 1:48
Nice composition with old woman in foreground. Fine realisation. Have a nice Sunday!
siamesa (27743) 2011-08-28 2:45
Bom dia Silvio
The woman sitting down seem to think of something or maybe remenbers her past. Anyway this woman added a special note to the composition.
ikeharel (58195) 2011-08-28 2:50
Nice moment taken, Silvio.
The old-lady's face expression in picture is incredible: a bit contemplative, but also maybe with tireness. I think she has blue eyes, but I can't tell for sure from the image.
Excelent details and DOF up the street-stairs.
Atousa (7131) 2011-08-28 5:16
A fine composition with the lady well placed in the framing.. I really like her expression n the great chosen pov.. beautifully captured.. tfs
Best regards, Atousa
baddori (19963) 2011-08-28 6:02
Un giro nel profondo sud.
Una carrellata per certi versi interessante dal punto di vista natura e territorio e dall'altro luoghi e persone.
La qualità fotografica non è mancata come quella divulgativa e note comprese .
Mari63 (4085) 2011-08-28 8:25
Ciao Silvio, interessante l'inquadratura con l'inclusione della scalinata in pietra e della signora anziana in abbigliamento scuro. Difficile vederne situazioni così in questi paesi.
sibillino (681) 2011-08-28 10:11
Questo vicolo, anche se hai scelto una signora anziana a dispetto del vicolo di Troia, mi riporta un pò indietro nel tempo....i lastroni, il sedile...peccato per la casa ristrutturata color pesca!!
P.S. Provo un WS
mauro61 (52623) 2011-08-29 2:29
un delizioso angolo del paese con l'anziana signora seduta a guardare e a pensare...
Ottimo il POV con le scale al centro e il soggetto decentrato,
abmdsudi (43718) 2011-08-29 8:38
Excellently composed, perfectly symmetrical, and beautifully processed. Lovely rustic grittiness of this alley which provides an interesting texture, patterns and charm. The old stonework adds the atmosphere with lots of character while the lady attracts the eyes which gives the image dimension and scale. Enjoyed the simplicity of the shot, backed by soft light and colors help to give the stark feel to this shot. Well observed and taken.
Guenther (10915) 2011-08-29 8:50
molto bello questo ritratto della signora anziana ai piedi della scalinata... molti luoghi comuni mi verrebbero in mente per descrivere questo ritratto ma è semplicemente bello e ben fatto...
fanni (14381) 2011-08-29 13:18
in addition to the extract from Wikipedia I'd love to read your own impressions and feeling about this view! well, I only have to guess what they are... because this shot seems to me very important, philosophic, interesting, a bit sad as well... but with a touch of hope. All this is thanks to the lady sitting on a bench and thinking of something.
Excellent capture. Without this lady sitting at the bottom of the stairs the photo would be quite different - just a view.
With this lady it tells a story.
delpeoples (53167) 2011-08-30 5:38
Ciao caro Silvio
Ahh come caratteristico. Il vicolo e' troppo bello con la signora quintessenza Italiana nel primo piano. L'andrebbe bene anche in Bianconero, secondo mi. Un ottimo lavoro con prospettiva eccellente.
Passa una bella giornata, un abbraccio
annjackman (19937) 2011-08-30 23:42
A superb composition with this lady perhaps resting a bit before climbing the step,s or perhaps just outside her house. She looks thoughtful. A good capture of this steep alley.
Kind Regards, Ann
adores (37563) 2011-09-03 19:28
The old lady seems so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even notice you! She looks so Mediterranean! You placed her very well leaving the old narrow street in background.