When everyone stays home. With the new coronavirus containment measures, cities have emptied out, giving way to surreal atmospheres. Photos of deserted streets, squares and alleyways across Italy.
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If it is true that the real heart and soul of a city are its inhabitants, what happens when they are nowhere to be found? What do the streets, squares, hidden corners and glimpses of cities large and small look like, stripped of the noise, the hustle and the presence of people? Since Italy officially became a protected, closed zone for the containment of coronavirus from 8 March, people have been asked to avoid any movement from home except for basic necessities. And so, life in public spaces has been put on hold. Shutters have been pulled down, offices closed, events cancelled, and people have retreated into their own homes, to help the moment pass as quickly as possible.
In Italy's largest cities, usually accustomed to receiving hordes of tourists every day of the year, a surreal silence and calm can now be heard and witnessed. Piazza San Marco empty, with no one seated at the tables and the chairs put away. Milan's central station without its constant stream of people always in a rush. St Peter's Square without its faithful, universities without their students. Every place without the people who bring it to life. With a selection of photographs, we take a tour of the cities that are fighting and holding out against what has by now been declared a pandemic, as they wait to fill up again with renewed energy and vitality once the worst is over.
The empty spaces in cities left by coronavirus, in photos
Rights — di Camilla Soldati
When everyone stays home. With the new coronavirus containment measures, cities have emptied out, giving way to surreal atmospheres. Photos of deserted streets, squares and alleyways across Italy.
