The Ancient Sights of Verona with Kodak Portra 160
The best view of the city of Verona from atop the viewpoint at Santuario della Madonna di Lourdes (click to enlarge). 1/200s 90mm F4.0 with polariser 3 photo panoramic.
Following on from the events of last week’s blog, I had one more day left on my own in Italy before I flew home, and I wanted to use this time to explore the city of Verona itself. Up until now I’d only see parts of it briefly whilst doing the photoshoots with the two Jaguars. But how was I going to go about photographing the city with a single roll of Kodak Portra 160? I decided I needed some sort of theme to keep me on track, and it very quickly came to me – bridges.
The ancient bridge of Ponte Pietra that dates back to 100BC. The very left side and the middle column were the only parts not completely destroyed at the end of the Second World War. The bridge was subsequently rebuilt using original materials recovered from the river. 1/320s 35mm F4.0 with polariser.
Shooting an arch of the Ponte Pietra Bridge. 1/400s 58mm F4.0 with polariser.
The old centre of Verona is built into a large S-bend of the river Adige which means it is surrounded by water on three sides (a little bit like Shrewsbury is here in the UK), and this means there are numerous bridges that vary greatly in age and style as you follow it round. The oldest of which is the magnificent Ponte Pietra built all the way back in 100 BC, staggering to think a bridge so old stands after more than two thousand years. Sadly, most of the bridge was blown up by the retreating Germans at the end of the Second World War, but it was rebuilt using original materials recovered from the river in 1957. One thing Ken had highlighted to me over the weekend is that buildings were made from stone in Italy from a much earlier time than many other European countries. The wooden structures that would have been built at the same time in Britain or France have long since rotted away or burned down.
Ponte di Castelvecchio is the largest and grandest bridge in Verona. Completely rebuilt after the war but without the original second tower. Note the canoers who I’d follow down the river and would appear in more photos. 1/1000s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.
I managed to get a quiet moment when most of the tourists had dispersed on Ponte di Castelvecchio. 1/800s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.
Ponte della Vittoria was built in the 1920s to celebrate the Italian victory at the battle of Vittorio Veneto at the end of the First World War. Beyond on the hill is the Santuario della Madonna di Lourdes where I took my panoramic of Verona. 1/500s 95mm F4.0.
Sadly, no bridge escaped the wrath of the Germans at the end of the war and that includes the largest and most impressive - Ponte di Castelvecchio which at around seven hundred years old is still relatively new in comparison to Ponte Pietra! This was rebuilt slightly earlier however between 1949-1951. It’s rare that you can say walking over a bridge is an occasion, but that is certainly how it feels here as the bridge pillars tower over your head as you stroll either to or from the castle of Castelvecchio itself. Unsurprisingly this is the bridge that attracts the most tourists vying for the best selfies for Instagram.
Ponte Garibaldi is a modern bridge originally built as concrete in the 1930s. The original nineteenth century bridge was made of iron. 1/100s 135mm F4.0 with polariser.
The Canoers paddle under Ponte Garibaldi. At the time I was cursing the ducks who suddenly flew into frame as I was timing the shot with the canoers. However now I feel it gives the scene a more lively feel. 1/500s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.
The Canoers continue down the Adige. 1/500s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.
Most of the other bridges in Verona are much newer, nineteenth or twentieth century, although as is the case for Ponte Nuovo, bridges have been destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries in slightly different positions. Ponte Navi is another example of this. There was most likely a wooden bridge here going back to Roman times, but flood events over destroyed many of the older bridges before a stone one was finally built on the orders of Cansignorio della Scala in 1373. This version of the bridge with a large tower lasted until a big flood in 1757 and it took a few more iterations until you get the bridge we see today. To understand what the original stone bridge would have looked like you can see the early masterpiece painted by Bernando Bellotto. This is the earliest of his works that came to the UK as it was made for a British patron. It was even subject to a government export ban last year in a bid to keep it in the country.
Ponte Nuovo was one of the first bridges rebuilt after the war in 1946. 1/1600s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.
Ponte delle Navi leading onto the Church of San Fermo Maggiore. The bridge is radically different to the original stone version shown in the mid eighteenth century masterpiece by Bernando Bellotto. 1/1000s 58mm F1.4 with polariser.
The final bridge I photographed was Ponte Aleardo Aleardi. This modern bridge was the only one not destroyed during the war, because at the time it hadn’t finished being built! 1/1250s 58mm F1.4 with polariser.
Beyond the bridges I did manage to get a spectacular view of the entire city from the vantage point of the Santuario della Madonna di Lourdes. It’s a bit of a climb to get there but it is well worth the effort. One of the great things about Verona is that you really can see its spectacular old buildings from all angles. What I was looking for was a view of the mountains, but at this point I was facing the wrong direction. Walking further up (quite literally) the road I did manage to reach Forte San Mattia, a ruined nineteenth century fortress that was closed off to the public. I could however see the mountains and as I walked back down the path, I realised the nearby wall was host to large numbers of wall lizards. I am always keen to try and do a bit of wildlife photography on film, even if it is often unsuccessful. Thankfully I did manage to get one photo in focus (out of three), though it was frustrating that what would have been a particularly good one came back completely out of focus.
I finally got my view of the mountains when I reached Forte San Mattia 1/320s 200mm F4.0 with polariser.
I managed to get one shot of a wall lizard in focus. Naturally I am cursing the other two misses, I honestly don’t understand how I managed to miss focus on one of the other shorts. 1/250s 200mm F4.0.
Motorbikers riding down into the city. 1/250s 200mm F4.0 with polariser.
Lastly, I headed into the streets of the old city itself, admiring the great Arena and the large clock fixed to the medieval gate of I Portoni della Bra. I once more had time to enjoy a very fine Italian gelato before heading over to perhaps Verona’s most congested tourist trap – Juliet’s balcony. Billed as the house and balcony from the famous Romeo & Juliet, there’s no historical accuracy to be found here but it proves a hit nonetheless. Female tourists rub the right breast of the statue of Juliet for good luck in love and many others leave notes and heart shaped padlocks on a nearby wall. At least they are all having fun!
Juliet’s balcony which I believe was actually installed in the twentieth century. As long as it keeps the tourists happy I suppose. 1/250s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.
The large Arena di Verona which was built in AD 30 and is still in use today. I am sure there will be big celebrations for its 2000th birthday in seven years time. 1/125s 58mm F1.4 with polariser.
The large and striking clock which sits on the I Portoni della Bra, the remaining structures of the old medieval city gates. 1/1250s 58mm F1.4 with polariser.
Sadly, for me this brings an end to my time in Italy, but I packed in a lot in just a few days. To round off the whole weekend I managed to complete my aim of capturing an old Italian car on film with the very last shot on my very last roll. I do find those old Fiat Pandas to be quite charming.
Keep an eye out at WHSmith on the 22nd December when the first of my two features are published in Jaguar World magazine.
On my very last shot on my very last roll of film I managed to snap this photo of an old Fiat Panda. Mission complete. 1/400s 35mm F1.4 with polariser.
A shot of Ponte di Castelvecchio that I took the previous evening. It stands out even more at night. 4s 35mm F5.6.
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