Whenever I go back

These photographs were captured in and around San Giovanni Teatino, a small Italian town nestled between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine Mountains in the Abruzzo region. My family has called this place home for many generations, deeply rooted in its landscapes and traditions.

This was the only life I knew until 2017, when I made the difficult decision to emigrate to London in search of a better future. The move marked a profound shift in my life, introducing me to new realities while also intensifying my connection to the place I left behind. Every time I return to Italy, I feel an overwhelming urge to capture and carry with me the essence of home, both spiritually and physically, through my photography. It’s like I am trying to preserve fragments of my identity.

However, these images are more than that; they are an attempt to carry with me the love, values, and traditions that have been passed down through generations. It’s like each photograph is a thread linking me back to my family, allowing me to hold on to the sense of belonging that has always been one of my fundament of my life.

There’s a saying in Italy that the family is the center of life, and for me, that has always been true. It is only thanks to this distance that I understood this need to photograph whenever I go back.

In small Italian towns like mine, leaving a provincial life is difficult, especially when moving to a different country. The rhythms of that life stay with you, constantly reminding you of what you left behind and making you wonder if you’ll ever return. The simplicity and steady pace of quiet days and hopeful nights are not easy to forget.

As time passes, I find my perspective on what was once my home evolving. There’s a bridge between my current reality and the life I knew, but the thread connecting them seems to stretch longer with each passing year.

Like most immigrants, it's becoming a constant questioning of belongs.

Through my photography, I re-evaluate and appreciate what I once had by simply observing.

These photographs are a continuous exploration of my journey as an immigrant, a reflection on my large family, my roots, and the values passed down to me. In this way, they help me navigate the complex emotions of migration, offering a way to connect with both my past and my present.