Villa Fiorentino is currently hosting a free exhibition of photos taken by Antonino di Maio until March 2nd, 2025.
Antonino di Maio saw the beauty in the everyday moments, chronicling the view of the passerby from his window that overlooks the main square, Piazza Tasso.
The exhibit lines the walls of one room, and the pictures showcased offer the viewer a look through his window, seeing snapshots of mundane moments with a few unusual moments sprinkled in.
Tourists walking by with their suitcases, a father pushing his children in a stroller, a couple holding hands while walking, a couple sharing an umbrella, a dog running by, people simply crossing the street.
Then the more unusual moments: a procession in the street, a wedding, a marathon, and a ceremony.
It was a unique experience walking around the exhibition, looking at each of the photos, seeing the snapshot of a person’s whole story behind the singular moment captured.
From the smallest sweet mundane moment to the bigger life-altering moments, each photograph brings into focus a life, a relationship, or an event.
Looking at these photos brought to mind questions: What were each of these people thinking? Where were they coming from and going to? Have any of them seen these photos of themselves?
After looking at all of the photos, I walked through the glass door into the garden behind the villa and this was the perfect spot to reflect on what I had seen.
I walked through the paths of trees and flowers, feeling the sunshine and soaking in the beauty of nature. I settled on a bench and jotted down a few notes on the exhibition and just took the views in.
I heard the animated conversation of a group of friends sitting outside the villa, I saw a man reading a newspaper on a bench, I heard the gleeful shouts and laughter of children playing on the playground.
The garden was a peaceful spot to just slow down from the hustle and bustle of life and just sit and dwell on the beauty of everyday life.
I then realized that this was what I had taken out of the exhibition: slowing down to take everything in and experiencing each moment as its own.
Walking around to the side and front of the villa, I took moments to appreciate the plant life thriving: cacti and flowers and orange trees.
I caught a glimpse of a lizard basking in the sun before it skittered away from me. These small moments brought delight into my day.
I then went on to explore the permanent exhibition on the top floor, housing the wood inlay collection of Enrico Salierno including many intricate musical mechanisms on furniture.
These were very interesting and beautiful to look at, but in the more traditional sense that an exhibition normally is. It’s definitely worth a visit as well!
After leaving Villa Fiorentino, I walked over to Piazza Tasso to try and find the spot where the pictures were being taken from.
I’m not sure I found the precise spot but I was in the general vicinity of it, and it was neat to be able to visit the location where I had just seen all of these photos of.
I had not expected to get so much out of visiting this small photo exhibition, but it was a delightful and eye-opening experience!
The reminder to take each moment at a time and enjoy the little things in life was something I needed as stress from coursework and exams coming up has been building.
I would definitely recommend visiting this exhibition if you get the chance and use it as a motivator to reflect on the beauty in the everyday moments of life.
Ciao,
Justine