Beneath the Forest’s Footsteps by Leonardo Petrucci
Photojournalism Hub is delighted to present Leonardo Petrucci as our Featured Photographer. His work explores diverse societal themes, with a primary focus on community across Italy. In this work, Petrucci presents the photo story Beneath the Forest’s Footsteps showing a post-war communal revival of a rural area.
Petrucci explains: “Until the Second World War, the Campanara area was a thriving agricultural zone: the valley was dotted with wheat fields and inhabited by numerous farming families, who lived in scattered rural houses. As in many rural areas of the Apennines, the years following the war saw a strong depopulation. Homes and farmland were gradually abandoned, and nature slowly reclaimed its space. We are on the border between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, sheltered by the Apennines. Hidden deep within the forest, and still difficult to reach today, lies Campanara, a singular place dominated by a church that has never been deconsecrated, standing beside an ancient rural house.
From the 1960s onwards, Campanara became a small “hippie” commune, an experiment in communal living that attracted dozens of people. Over time, however, the area experienced a new wave of depopulation, until only one family remained to preserve its original spirit.
Silvia is considered one of the “souls” of Campanara, a figure who has kept the initial vision alive through the decades. Her children and grandchildren grew up on the mountain and, in turn, have contributed and continue to contribute to the evolution of this way of life.
Theirs is a story of resilience. They have faced isolation, the restoration of abandoned buildings, and the creation of a sustainable way of living in an area long left to itself. They chose to step away from consumerism and the fast pace of modern society, rediscovering values such as sharing, solidarity, and self-sufficiency.”
About the photographer
Leonardo Petrucci (Rome,1999) is a photographer specialized in photojournalism and reportage.
With a keen focus on socially and anthropologically relevant themes, his work seeks to explore the human experience in relation to the cultures and habits of the places they live.
Narrative lies at the core of his works, as he combines texts and images to reconstruct stories of places and people .
His work aspires to remind us that, no matter the differences, human experiences are deeply interconnected.
Leonardo Petrucci www.leonardopetrucciphoto.com
@_leonardopetrucci
All photos & text copyright: Leonardo Petrucci
