By Fred Lynch from near Boston, Massachusetts
Always check the back of an Italian town, I say. That’s because the oldest ones (perhaps they’re all old) are built in positions to easily defend – often on a high cliff, and they’re always a fascinating subject. A perfect puzzle of buildings huddle together, perched on the edge. Often, a building at some point, has tumbled over!
That’s where I found this view of the small town of Vitorchiano, in Central Italy. Walking back and forth along a narrow but busy road, I tried to find just the right view across the chasm before me. I was tempted to jump a fence into a private yard, but then thought better (sort of) and instead climbed over a fence at the end of a parking lot, right next to a Caution sign. Placing my collapsible stool carefully near the edge of a high, eroded cliff, I drew for hours. The town and I faced each other over a deep abyss. (Perhaps you can see my seat by the fence.) Some views are worth the risk. I bet you’d do the same.
