Pila sul Gromolo from Sestri Levante hills.
From the hills of San Bernardo, I wanted to capture with my camera a different view of Pila sul Gromolo, a neighborhood of Sestri Levante that tells a lesser-known part of the town, away from the most famous images of the sea and the coastline. This photograph of Pila in Sestri Levante shows an everyday landscape made of homes, sports facilities and community spaces that represent ordinary local life.
Looking down from San Bernardo towards the valley of Sestri Levante, Liguria, Italy, I could see the Sivori A football field, where the local Corsari team plays, and beside it the modern San Paolo Church in Pila. The distance and the strong humidity made the photograph technically challenging, but this wider perspective gives a chance to understand the neighborhood as a whole, connected with the surrounding landscape.
I chose to photograph this view because I often find that less famous neighborhoods can reveal an important part of a place’s identity. Pila sul Gromolo is not an ancient village or a traditional tourist attraction, but a residential area that grew together with the industrial development of Sestri Levante. Its apartment buildings are linked to the history of the former FIT factory and the Shipyard, which provided work for many local residents and contributed to the growth of the community.
Today Pila is a fully established residential neighborhood. The football field and San Paolo Church represent two important elements of local life: one connected with sport and the other with the social and spiritual community of the area.
A small curiosity concerns San Paolo Church in Pila, an example of modern religious architecture that differs from the older churches commonly found in Liguria. Its presence among residential buildings reflects the changes that took place during the twentieth century, when expanding neighborhoods needed new places for community life.
This photograph comes from my desire to tell Sestri Levante also through places that are not always highlighted. After photographing the historic center, streets and seaside views, I enjoy discovering the parts of the town where the story is made not only by monuments, but also by people, work and everyday experiences.
If you are visiting Sestri Levante and looking for places worth seeing beyond the beaches and the most famous viewpoints, looking at the town from the surrounding hills offers a different perspective and shows how the urban landscape extends inland.
Have you ever looked at Sestri Levante from a viewpoint different from the sea? Add a comment or go to the bottom of the site to read what other visitors have written.
Photo taken with Canon EOS M100 and lens Tamron 16-300.
Where is this neighborhood located:
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