Opgravingen van Soluntum, nabij Bagheria, Palermo 1860 - 1889

This black and white photograph, “Excavations of Soluntum, near Bagheria, Palermo,” was taken by Roberto Rive, an Italian photographer who lived in Naples. During Rive’s time, photography served not just as an artistic medium, but as a tool for documentation and preservation, capturing historical sites before further degradation or destruction. This photograph immortalizes the remains of Soluntum, an ancient city near Palermo, offering us a glimpse into its storied past. The image is a landscape of ruins. Light reflects off broken walls and a lone pillar that punctuates the skyline. Consider the emotional weight of witnessing the remnants of a once-thriving civilization. What stories do these stones hold? How do we, as viewers, connect with the distant past? Rive’s photograph invites us to reflect on our relationship with history and cultural memory. It challenges us to consider how we preserve and interpret the stories of those who came before us.