The Land of Madness

The Land of Madness’ is a documentary project in Basilicata, scarred by the 1980 earthquake. Abandoned towns, nature reclaiming space, and the few who remain bear witness to memory, survival, and the fragile line between past and present.

"La terra della follia" (the land of madness) is a documentary photography project set in Basilicata, a region in southern Italy often overlooked and deeply scarred by the 1980 Irpinia earthquake. This event shattered the lives of entire communities, leaving behind abandoned towns, partially collapsed buildings, and a memory suspended in time. Through a reportage approach, the project focuses on the affected areas and what remains: emptied structures, landscapes where relentless nature reclaims its space, and the lives of the few who chose to stay. Black and white imagery is used to depict natural landscapes, enhancing their dramatic force and silent power, while color is reserved for portraits and inhabited ruins, human traces that reflect the present state and the underlying drama. "La terra della follia" is an act of testimony and remembrance. A work that seeks to restore dignity to marginal places and to the people who still inhabit them, exploring the fragile line between abandonment and attachment, between the past and survival.