Gaia Cambiaggi's Photographic Journey Through the Mystical Monte di Portofino

Carlo Antonelli's essay on Artribune Magazine #63 explores the mystical experience of Monte di Portofino, the regional park that locals simply call "Il Monte." The text describes the mountain as a living entity that immediately absorbs visitors into its ecosystem. Antonelli traces a path from San Rocco di Camogli to Punta Chiappa and Porto Pidocchio, passing historical landmarks such as World War II bunkers, Cala degli Inglesi, Cala dell'Oro, Torre Saracena, and the Abbey of San Fruttuoso, founded by the Doria family. The essay mentions Ginevra Doria, a descendant who works with Paola Clerico on the Case Chiuse exhibition project in Milan. The journey continues through the protected marine park to the cliff where Countess Augusta fell, then to Portofino itself. The Mediterranean landscape is described as a psychedelic experience of intense green, with agave, pines, and wildflowers. The route leads past the abandoned Liberty-style hotel/sanatorium overlooking two gulfs, near the Bosco delle Fate (ancient holm oak forest), and ends at Nicco's bar, serving cocktails and snacks since 1974. The essay notes that Nietzsche wrote "Aurora" while staying at the Hotel Paradis (now empty) in the Gulf of Paradise. Gaia Cambiaggi's photographs from 2021, titled "Monte di Portofino," accompany the text, capturing the altered perception that painter Rubaldo Merello (1872-1922) obsessively sought.