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In the Sallentinum Land


In the Sallentinum Land
Photo Information
Copyright: Paolo Motta (Paolo) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4701 W: 146 N: 9010] (39613)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2002-08-24
Categories: Event
Camera: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P100
Exposure: f/2.8
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-11-17 4:27
Viewed: 982
Points: 34
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is a view of the main square of Otranto during the Beati Martiri Celebration, a 13 days festival with dance and music all night long around the small city.


Otranto is a town and commune in the province of Lecce (Apulia, Italy), in a fertile region, and once famous for its breed of horses.

Otranto is situated on the east coast of the Salento peninsula. The Strait of Otranto connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea. The harbour is small and has little trade.
About 50 km southeast lies the promontory of Santa Maria di Leuca the southeastern extremity of Italy, the ancient Promontorium lapygium or Sallentinum.

Otranto occupies the site of the ancient Hydrus or Hydruntum, a town of Greek origin, which, in the wars of Pyrrhus and of Hannibal sided against Rome.

In Roman times it was a city in the provincia Calabria. As it is the nearest port to the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, it was perhaps more important than Brundisium (present Brindisi), under the Roman emperors as a point of embarkation for the East, as the distance to Apollonia was less than from Brundisium.

In the 8th century, it was for some time in the possession of duke Arechis II of Benevento. It remained in the hands of the Byzantine emperors until it was among the last cities of Apulia to surrender to the Norman Robert Guiscard in 1068, and then became part of the Principality of Taranto. In the Middle Ages the Jews had a school there.

In 1480, the Turkish fleet landed nearby and took the city and its fort. The Pope called for a crusade, with a massive force built up by Ferdinand I of Naples, among them notably troops of Hungarian king Matthias Corvinus, despite frequent Italian quarreling at the time. The Neapolitan force met with the Turks in 1481, thoroughly annihilating them and recapturing Otranto. However, in the two battles, the city was utterly destroyed, and has never since recovered its importance since the sack of Otranto by the Turks, in which 12,000 men are said to have perished — among them, Bishop Stephen Pendinelli, who was sawn to death; the "valley of the martyrs" still recalls that dreadful event. In 1537, the famous Turkish corsair and Ottoman admiral Barbarossa captured Otranto and the Fortress of Castro, but the Turks were eventually repulsed from the city and the rest of Puglia.

In 1804, the city was obliged to harbour a French garrison that was established there to watch the movements of the English fleet. Under the French name of Otranto is was created a duché grand-fief de l'Empire in the Napoleonic kingdom of Naples for Joseph Fouché, Napoleon's minister of Police (1809)

From Wikipedia
Muse, PixelTerror, nwoehnl, John_F_Kennedy, ChrisJ, Budapestman, delkoo, carper, syd1946, cessy, Rosa_d_MonteLua, evanrizo has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

Ciao Paolo,
with these lights it looks quite an interesting festival, while looking at the photo I notice it is equally crowded as pleasant... The blue hour shot helped preserve many details, but it's really pity you have cut the most interesting part of your light subject, which alterates significantly the impression one can gather from this image. As an addl small suggestion you could adjust the vertical on the left, considering Otranto is nowhere near Pisa ;-))
Buona giornata,
Jean-Yves

  • Great 
  • Muse Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2325 W: 198 N: 5398] (22680)
  • [2006-11-17 4:43]

Bonjour Paolo,
A beautiful sight very colored and full of life of this place.
Beautiful illuminations and a blue sky which contrasts well the note is interesting.
Best regards
Denise

  • Great 
  • Gerrit Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4025 W: 85 N: 4868] (23801)
  • [2006-11-17 4:58]

Hi Paolo,
good layering and colours. I like the crowd in the bootom part almost abstract. Great colours.
Regards, Gerrit

Ciao Paolo. A nice showing of this festival, with a good timing to take the photo at the "blue hour", and the visiting crowd filling the old square Agree with JY about the somewhat unfortunate cropping/framing (it just should be generally zoomed-out a bit more) - but of course it's a four-year old photo and today you would probably do it differently ;) Greetings from Nagoya.

Great movement effect and vivid colours. Nice view on that ritual.
Achim

  • Great 
  • ChrisJ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 8647 W: 911 N: 11403] (55282)
  • [2006-11-17 6:42]

Bonjourno Paolo

Wonderful pageantry, with a superb yellow & blue colour combination. Good sharpness & pov. Bellisimo! Ciao!

Hi Paolo!
Fascinating shot! Its an expressive composition and splendid theme! Details are interesting and rich. This is a very spectacular and impressive shot! Thank you, nice days
George

  • Great 
  • delkoo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3688 W: 235 N: 4736] (23371)
  • [2006-11-17 8:47]

hi paolo
it is a rich scene with a lot of light and colours as well as many people in the street.

ciao
didier

Really great setting here.. I love the light and perspective too. Well done! Regards, Doug

  • Great 
  • carper Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 9324 W: 445 N: 14694] (51601)
  • [2006-11-17 11:42]

great light Paolo,
the composition is nice with good details and a fine quality, the point of view is nice and well seen, very good job, Have a nice day.
gr, jaap

Hello Paolo,
A well seen festive moment you captured here.This wonderful light all over the scene adding more interesting!Very good work!

Greetings,
Thomas

  • Great 
  • gaby Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1574 W: 48 N: 1587] (19023)
  • [2006-11-18 0:19]

Paolo bonjour - quelle belle image, un peu "biblique" (je ne sais pourquoi)mais qu'est ce que c'est beau !!! -
Je te souhaite un bon week end à toi et à ta famille
Ciao
Gaby

  • Great 
  • cessy Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2257 W: 99 N: 2336] (13536)
  • [2006-11-18 14:22]

wow.. so wonderful decoration and light
I found the composition is good
have a nice sunday,
cessy

Hi Paolo,
What a nice view, well taken to give a good composition with this angle, perfect sharpness and exposure, well done and Tfs.

Hi Paolo!
Beautiful photo with very pretty color combination, and good light.
I like the color contrast between the sky and the building.
TFS ad have a nice week!
Rosa

Hi Paolo - I miss the top of the lit structure, but I agree with the decision to include the crowd of people below, very festive atmosphere.

  • Great 
  • Graal Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4629 W: 120 N: 429] (40717)
  • [2006-11-21 2:11]

Hi Paolo,
very nice view, unusual festival and decorations. An interesting informations in note. Well done photo.
Gr., Aleksander

Lightness and colors are wonderful here.
I like the frame here very much, great seen Paolo and also great done.

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