Mario Giacomelli Earth and Light – Guided Tour

The Project

Where did the photographer Mario Giacomelli go to take his photos? Which places impressed him the most? Is it possible to build a path that shows fans, citizens and tourists the shots, the shots of the great photographer senigalliese?

Is it possible to compare the territory stopped on the film with the current one of our hills?

From these questions springs the main meaning of the project Earth and Light: to reconstruct the link between some photographs of Giacomelli and the territory of Senigallia.

We did not choose the most famous or most beautiful shots that characterized his work, but those of which it was possible to find the places and people who are the protagonists.

It is a field research work, inspired by “Piero’s Balconies” in Montefeltro. The images of Giacomelli were the starting point to highlight the changes that occurred in our territory. In this interpretation we analyzed them and compared them with the places and landscapes of today to grasp the profound changes.

The result is a significant feature of the transformations, not always for the better, that have taken place over the last fifty years, to the discovery of which we are guided by the journey of research.

This itinerary is the point of arrival of a project that, thanks to the contribution of scholars, allows to make a reflection on our territory and investigates the relationship of Giacomelli with its roots, its past and its land.

A heartfelt thanks goes to the family members of Mario Giacomelli, the protagonists and witnesses of his works, the creators and organizers of this project, the institutions and individuals who supported him.

The itinerary

The circular route that we propose develops for about 10 km in a large area of the Senigallian countryside near the village of Sant’Angelo in the south of Senigallia, 5 km from the center, along the Sirolo Senigallia Provincial Road, in the direction of Ostra.

It starts from the first station (A, B) located in the hamlet of Sant’Angelo, at the beginning of Borgo Marzi, in the pitch in front of the primary school.

To continue, go towards the provincial road, turn left and, after 100 m, turn right into Strada del Ferriero.

After 30 m turn right again on Strada Costa dei Fabbri and follow it to the end where you will find the B&B Sant’Angelo. We are thus at the second station (A, B).

To reach the third you have to return to the provincial road and follow it upstream for at least 1.5 km until you take the right Strada della Querciabella, after about 1.2 km on the left is the third station.
To reach the fourth and last station you have to continue along Strada della Querciabella and, at the junction, turn right on Strada del Crocifisso. It comes down to this point
for about 500 m and you reach the place where the itinerary ends.

To return to the starting point continue along Strada del Crocifisso for about 500 m and then take, on the right, Strada della Ruffina that will lead us to the provincial road.

From there turn left and, after about 400 m, reach the starting point in the hamlet of Sant’Angelo.

The individual stations are marked on the spot.