Italy 2022 – The Scorching South Summer Tour

Highlights From This Trip

• 7 Days
• 3500km driven
• 27 Locations Explored
• ~400 photographs
• Amazing sunny adventures in Southern Italy
• Churches, villas, palaces, a thermal spa, a school, a paper factory..the list goes on!

Always a pleasure – My third Urbex trip to Italy

This trip marks my third abandoned places tour of Italy, hot on the heels of my 2021 Italian Tour (which seems like only yesterday!). My first trip to Italy was way back in 2018. Whereas the previous two tours focussed on the north, this trip has a distinct focus on southern Italy. In 7 days, we covered over 3500km and explored 27 abandoned places.

Although my photographic journey and website focus on ruins and lost places, a road trip to Italy always has so much more to offer. Firstly, the actual driving always feels like a proper “road trip” here. The winding rough mountain roads, cruising along the coastline, ducking and dodging the traffic on busy city streets. Some of the most beautiful scenic routes I have ever had the pleasure to drive are in Italy. I took time to enjoy the small details as we travelled south, watching the vegetation and architecture progressively shift. Secondly, unwinding in the evening with an Italian wine and some local speciality food completes every day perfectly. If you have never been to beautiful Italy, I cannot recommend it enough!

Earthquake-damaged buildings in Southern Italy

My route in southern Italy took us through seismically-active areas, including regions that have been struck by devastating earthquakes in 2009 and 2016. Immense strain builds up as tectonic plates slide under and grind against each other, driven by the molten and constantly flowing interior of our planet. When the forces reach a critical point, the earth shudders as the power is released. Historic buildings fall and monumental heritage becomes rubble, in the blink of an eye.

Wandering the halls of Gorgeous Opulent Palaces and grand villas

I was overjoyed with the range of large Italian residences we explored on this trip. The architecture and frescoes hidden inside old villas and palaces are always unique and spectacular.

Classics catch-up and REMINISCING REVISITS

Finally, I got to visit two classic Italian abandoned locations which had so far eluded me. Firstly, I was thrilled to finally visit Globe School. So thrilled infact, it was the first photo collection I edited and uploaded from this tour. This location was on my list for my first Italy road trip in 2018, but after hearing it was likely closed we opted to skip it. Secondly, Villa Lambretta was a nice addition to the route and something I have wanted to photograph for some time.

I was happy to revisit Villa C; I was able to explore this large location more thoroughly, and focus on photographing rooms that I missed during my first visit. It was sad to see graffiti on the lower floor as well as all over the once beautiful pink shelled spiral staircase. This is something I will never be able to understand, why some people must deface and draw on things old and unique.

More behind-the-scenes photos from my Italy 2022 Road Trip

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this road trip blog! Here are the rest of the behind-the-scenes snaps and preview photos from this trip, see you next time <3.