Ah, those Italian stereotypes. Women making pasta in the kitchen, men playing cards and smoking fags in the street. Not true, eh? Or?
Well, I haven’t visited many Italian kitchens, but the bit about men sitting on corners and in various public places is largely true. Whether they gossip, smoke, quarrel loudly or play cards, they are always great subjects for street photographers.
The men from these pictures gather every day in an ancient building called Dominova Seat in the heart of Sorrento, southern Italy. They play every afternoon, sheltered from the fierce heat outside. They quarrel, laugh, chat or – in some cases at least – sit quietly reading or writing.
They’re also very friendly, and allowed me to stay with them for a bit to take these shots, for which I’m very grateful.
The building itself is fascinating too. It’s dates back to the 14th century and has two open arches, which makes it partly open to the outside world. It has a magnificent tiled dome and impressive faded frescoes.
You can see more photos from that afternoon in my Google + albums here, or just click on any of the images in this post.
