This is day two of a seven day series celebrating the Cinque Terre.
See day one.
See day three.
See day four.
See day five.
See day six.
see day seven.
All photos by Uta Theile.
Uta shares her stories of living in the Cinque Terre village of Monterosso,
I am married to a fisherman and have become fascinated by this work, this way of life, and by the relationship fisherman have with the sea (often a love-hate relationship). They love the freedom, the infinite depths that surround them, the challenge, the hunt—gifts that only the sea can offer, though the sea is also a source of fear, worry, melancholy and, of course, the envy they feel for their competitors
The fisherman’s life is difficult and full of sacrifice, an existence dedicated to fishing in which work lasts both day and night and a private life only barely exists.
Monterosso was once a fishing village, but everything has changed. The affluence that comes with tourism is pushing aside ancient traditions, and that’s why I decided to document this ancient profession through my photographs of “old-time” fishermen.
With my photographs, I want to tell the story not solely of the hardships that this work implies, but also of the fascination it holds: the faces of fishermen as they tell their stories of a life at sea, the beauty and tranquility of dawn as the nets are lowered or raised, the joy of a good catch that repays their exhaustion … the passion and the art of fishing.
About the Artist: Uta Theile is from Germany and has lived in Monterosso, Cinque Terre since 1997. She is married to a fisherman and captures the unique landscape and traditional way of life through her photos. Her book, The Art of Fishing: A Journey Inside Cinque Terre Fishing is available at stores in the Cinque Terre or online.
Floods in the Cinque Terre:
This photographic tribute captures exceptional images taken before floods hit the Cinque Terre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprised of five villages built on the terraced slopes of Italy’s northwest coast.
Heavy floods that started on October 25, 2011 have severely damaged the villages of Vernazza and Monterosso in the Cinque Terre and surrounding towns in the province of Liguria and northern Tuscany. People have lost their homes and businesses and some have sadly lost their lives. Find out more here.
Government money has been donated to the region to help rebuild it; but it is not enough. People and organizations have rallied together to collect money that is desperately needed and I urge you to join us. You will find these following three payments gateways secure and require just three minutes of your time.
1) The non-profit society Save Vernazza was created to pro-actively raise funds and awareness for Vernazza via the English speaking community. They are accepting donations through Paypal. All funds collected will be directed towards the immediate efforts of rebuilding Vernazza, one of the two towns most affected in the Cinque Terre.
3) The City Hall of Monterosso is accepting Paypal donations. Monterosso al Mare was one of the two towns within the Cinque Terre most affected. This site is in Italian.
Thank-you for your support. TOGETHER we can do amazing things. History is PROOF! xxx Bianca
