Within the beautiful historical district of Salerno is a riot of tiny alleys and streets. This once run down area of the city has been revitalized with art. The incredible street art of the Muri D’autore is quite literally everywhere in this singular neighbourhood.
Muri D’autore
What began as a tribute to the poet Alfonso Gatto, has now turned into a maze of art and graffiti at every turn. Wandering thru these narrow streets and hidden lane’s, one is surrounded by Italian poetry in multiple artistic fonts.
I don’t read nor speak any Italian, so the poetry itself is lost on me. However, the nature of the writing, and the street art intermixed with it is so very romantic.
The street art now has progressed from the original poetry to a larger arena of creativity. Residents have given the okay to have the walls of their homes painted and decorated in the most beautiful and interesting ways.
Artists are welcomed here, are invited to express themselves freely and it is delightful to see.
Street Art
I am a huge fan of street art and photograph it every where I travel. It is a leading passion of mine, one that I take great enjoyment in. To create a type of permanence to a fleeting piece of art gives me profound pleasure.
And this is art, the art of the people. There is no charge, no monetary profit with street art. It is there simply to be enjoyed, to provoke thought and to provide an insight, I think, to a culture and its people.
I have only spent one day in these streets of the historical district. I am utterly enchanted by what I have found, letting myself get lost and wander at random. Returning to the area is a must in the coming days.
I would however encourage people to keep their wits about them here and everywhere for that matter. Although I did not feel uneasy what so ever, I did encounter an area with a tremendous amount of blood all over the ground and splattered on the surrounding vehicles. Obviously, something sinister had happened recently.
Be safe, be savvy but enjoy every minute of your travels.
