The third post in a series on last month’s urbex trip to Italy. To start, here is a former military hospital in southern Italy. Built at the height of Mussolini’s fascist rule in streamline moderne style, it covers a large swath of land in the middle if Bari. Though the buildings are mostly barren and … Continue reading Abandoned Italy
I thought ghost towns were largely a stateside phenomenon, but as it turns out, Italy may have us beat. One source I saw claimed that the country has six thousand of them. I can’t say why there seem to be so many, but I’d speculate that the old Italian propensity for settling on hilltops may … Continue reading The Ghost Towns of Italy
Two years ago, I got a chance to shoot this abandoned arena in Memphis. In an arrangement similar to what I wrote about in my last post on the Sterick building, a group of photographers were allowed to shoot the place in return for some photos. In each case, the owners were looking to drum … Continue reading Mid-South Coliseum
The Sterick building in downtown Memphis has the demeanor of a deposed queen, who, despite having lost her power and much of her wealth, has lost none of her grace and haughtiness and remains the focal point of the city’s skyline. When finished in 1930, she was said to be the tallest building of the … Continue reading The Sterick, Dowager Empress of Memphis
Last weekend we had a short outing to an abandoned school a state over. Considering we were prepared for the entire thing to be a bust, it turned out to be a modest success. The building was boarded up, so it was uncertain whether or not we could even get in. . .For all the … Continue reading A School in the Dunes
I was in Pittsburgh for a few days a couple of weeks ago. This trip was put together on short notice as other plans fell through, and, consequently our expectations were low. Indeed, we did not hit any home runs, but we found enough stuff to keep ourselves occupied. The vibe was loose, and the … Continue reading Abandoned Pittsburgh
What makes an abandoned place worth exploring? Sometimes I’ve seen photos of places that have been shuttered so recently that there isn’t much distinguishing them from active sites other than the lack of people in the shot. On the other hand, very ruined places are often so far gone that any signs of their original … Continue reading Details and Remnants
I often say that I’m a photographer first. That is to say, I’m not a daredevil who is out to document all the hard-to-reach places he’s gotten into, rather that I want a chance at the best possible shot regardless of how hard or easy access is. However, to a certain extent Italy has me … Continue reading The Geometry of a Villa
Living in Chicago, a fun fact to trot out is that our city, famous for its frigid winters, lies on the same latitude as balmy Rome. I had this bit of trivia in my head as I kept track of a brutal heat wave in Italy this past summer. Temperatures in Milan hovered around 100° … Continue reading Urbex in a Garden
I recently returned from an intense week of shootng in Italy. I’ve travelled a bit in my life so far, and I’ve also done some urbex abroad, mostly on the spur of the moment when a spot would present itself (it’s how I wound up hanging out with these guys in Tbilisi). However, this trip … Continue reading Ceilings of Italy
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