Notes on the Photography

As far as possible, website photographs attempt to replicate Vasi’s views from the same station point as his prints were taken from. There were many difficulties in actually meeting this goal, not the least of which is the nature of the modern city, clogged with moving traffic and parked vehicles even on weekends and holidays. Although it would at first appear that Vasi’s scenes are meant to simulate views of the observer on foot, closer inspection reveals that this is typically not the case. As noted above, many of Vasi’s views are slightly elevated above the street level and were either taken from a convenient piano nobile window or were readjusted in the studio afterwards to show a higher horizon line than a street level view would afford. For example, the view of Piazza Navona, Plate 26, is taken from the piano nobile of the Palazzo Lancelotti (on its second window to the left of the main entrance) at the south end of the Piazza. Given the difficulty in entering the private worlds of these surroundings, the author had to content himself with scenes from street level which occasionally were augmented by the more privileged, elevated view when a kind individual or institutional authority granted permission.