The Poetic Doors of Staiti in Calabria

To me, the old, weathered doors in Italy are a work of art in and of themselves. Their textures of aged wood, peeling paint and ancient, blacksmith forged hardware are wonderful subjects for my own photography.

But in the small mountainside village of Staiti in the Aspromonte National Park in Calabria there are doors that boast both colors and colorful words. They were painted by a Staitese artist, Teresa Gandini, with the help of local boys. Gandini is a well known artist in the area who usually paints local scenes of rustic architecture, gardens and floral settings. But in this case, not only her images, but also the words she paints on the doors are what transforms them doors into sheer architectural poetry.

They could very well be the doors to visitors' souls...

--Jerry Finzi

Those who want to see the rainbow must learn to love the rain.

The difference between winning and losing is often not giving up.

Life is really strange: one moment you are happy, a moment later the wine is finished.

Watch with eyes of heart and you will love what you see.

People see, hear and talk. Unfortunately, however, they see badly, hear little and talk too much.

Doing what you love is freedom. Loving what you do is happiness.

The mind is like a parachute, working only when it's open.

You will not remember the steps you took, but the footprints you left.

It is the cynical who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

All is the fault of...

There is a logical thread and the people stumble.

Read and live a thousand lives.