Unlike the neighbouring islands of Capri and Ischia, Procida in 1972 was still unspoilt, largely untouched by the phenomenon of mass tourism. Thus, Paolo Monti, a photographer from the north who would often travel to the south fro work, spent several years carrying out his own personal research there to capture the morphology of the island. Although his photographs document the island’s inhabitants – including many young people and children – along with the islanders’ attitude towards the sea, what interests him most is the architecture. He investigates Borgo di Corricella, the island’s main town, combing it inch by inch and documenting its ‘spontaneous architecture’: the almost inextricable web of its houses, churches and stairways. A fascinating labyrinth that is the very quintessence of the Mediterranean. These photos from the photographer’s archive are presented here for the first time. The volume is accompanied by a narrative essay by Nadia Terranova and a critical reflection by Silvia Paoli.
