Gezicht op de Via delle Tombe Pompeï c. 1860 - 1880

Giorgio Sommer captured this somber scene on film, a stark, sepia-toned view of the Via delle Tombe in Pompeii. Here, the road is not just a path but a symbolic threshold, lined with the stone monuments erected to house the dead, and honor their memory. The most potent symbol is the tomb itself, a motif that stretches back into the mists of time. Think of the pyramids of Egypt, or the Mycenaean tholos tombs; these structures served not only as final resting places, but also as potent symbols of power, memory, and the afterlife. This impulse to monumentalize death speaks to a deep, universal need to defy mortality, to leave a mark on the world that transcends our brief existence. Looking at this image, one cannot help but feel the weight of history and the enduring power of human emotions in the face of death. These symbols constantly resurface and evolve, reminding us of our shared past, our shared fate, and our relentless desire to find meaning in the face of the inevitable.