Tag Archives: orvieto

Four Mailboxes

Four Mailboxes
“Four Mailboxes” — Four old metal mailboxes on a weathered wall in Orvieto, Italy.

When we travel we do seek out some of the famous, must-see places and things — castles, cathedrals, geological features, markets, and all the rest. But we also like to engage in a certain amount of random wandering when we can. In some ways this gives me a better sense of the character of a place than I would get by checking off all of the Big Important Things. (Don’t get me wrong. Many of those are important with good reason and are well worth visiting.) I made this photograph on one of these wandering days.

We often start out with a very general goal or idea in mind, but what we do along the way is often fairly unplanned. That was the case on this day in Orvieto, a lovely Italian hill town. Being constrained by its location on the relatively flat top of a hill, the place isn’t huge, and you can cover most of it easily on foot. So we were out walking, poking our heads into narrow alleys, looking for interesting buildings, and photographing any little bits of local character we found.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Artigiano in Orvieto

Artigiano in Orvieto
“Artigiano in Orvieto” — Il Mago di Oz, a spectacular and spectacularly unique shop on a side street in Orvieto, Italy.

We had heard about this shop/experience before we arrived in Orvieto, but I think it might have slipped our minds. But as we wandered around some back streets, there it was. Unfortunately, “Oz” was closed when we passed by, so I had to content myself with looking through the window.

It seems to me that these little shops, where someone indulges their particular fantasy without limits, are common in European towns. We knew of one in Heidelberg — maybe more than one — and I’ve seen and photographed a few others in different cities. It is hard to say exactly when a proprietor’s personal obsessions go beyond mere eccentric interest and to another place entirely, but I think this one “goes there.”


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Piaggio Ape Art Car

Piaggio Ape Art Car
“Piaggio Ape Art Car” — A highly decorated PIaggio Ape vehicle in Orvieto, Italy.

I have been looking forward to posting this photograph, the final in the Current series featuring these Piaggio Ape three-wheeled vehicles that I photographed in Italy. In the other cases the vehicles were also small “pickup trucks,” but they looked rather utilitarian. For all I know, this one may serve such a purpose, too. But it sure goes way beyond that with its visual appearance.

It was parked along a street in Orvieto when I photographed it. There was no one around who could give me a hint about what its purpose is or what it might mean. But it was quite a sight. The basic paint job is decidedly non standard, but the owners have gone well beyond that simple modification, as you can probably see.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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Piaggio Ape in Turquoise

Piaggio Ape in Turquoise
“Piaggio Ape in Turquoise” — A colorful Piaggio Ape “pickup truck” parked next to a stone wall in Orvieto, Italy.

You may recall another recently shared photograph of one of these vehicles. It was actually the very same one, though photographed from a different angle and rendered in monochrome. And I’m not done — there is another coming, an example that is highly modified, to the point that it probably qualifies as a mini art car.

These little three-wheeled vehicles (and others like them) are common in these European cities with very old and very narrow streets. The town of Orvieto, where I photographed this one, is no exception. While the color of this Ape (“bee”) is a striking and attention-getting turquoise, it is clear that this is a vehicle intended for utilitarian use.


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.

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Links: Articles, Sales and Licensing, my Sierra Nevada Fall Color book, Contact Info.

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All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.