Landscape Architecture

A new-old picture taken in 2014, June 18th. A very hot day. I was in Val d’Orcia (Siena) with SWARF ( and his wife). Phil (SWARF) was a PUG member. He was often in Italy and many times I led him to visit different places in Tuscany and Umbria and to take pics of. About this picture: country road leading to ss Cassia and to Montalcino.
This is not a natural lake. It is a large reservoir for irrigation. Many ya (70s) I was used to take pictures of this place because it was a special area with geological significance :“calanchi”. Almost a deserted area giving a moon appeal to the scenery. The “villa” atop hill was later restored and everithing show nowaday an idyllic mood: a typical Tuscan landscape (hill, pine tree, country house, colors, shapes, geometries, lines). But….but never forget this is not typically Tuscany: before lived “calanchi” and men have worked a lot to change this landscape; they have stolen soil to calanchi and changed into fertile soil. The most of that area changed its physiognomy both for agricolture reasons and for the so called “landscape architecture”. At a few km far from that place live a beautiful garden “ La Foce”: a magical idea of an English architect Cecile Pinsent. So if you shall come to visit these places remember not to mix past and present. Past: naked soil with a few trees here and there. Poor land poor peoples: hard workers. Present: what live in front of you today, Eden. Men have been able to change the whole scenery. Is it good or not? I don’t know. I appreciate it today as well in the past. Interesting pine tree boulevards make these areas more appealing and tasteful for photographers and mouth (flavors…Brunello…ehhhhh!!!!).

This is the reason of title Landscape Architecture. Camera K20 D and Pentax 18-55 at 18mm. Manual exposure and focusing. Tripod. 5 pics merged in PhotoMatix (photographic preset-fusion natural).