Atrani

About 3 years ago I was shown pictures of Atrani. Ever since then I had a strong desire to see the place in person. I don’t think it was only because it looked incredible, but I think part of me wanted to see if it was even real. It looks like a town that a fictional writer like JRR Tolkien conjured up for an epic story. Regardless, a few days ago I finally experienced the place in person. I spent the weekend exploring the area and getting to know the people that lived there, which is what ultimately transforms a place from a mystical tourist destination into a real place. After some analyzing I may have discovered how such a unique place came to be. I studied an intriguing bridge over one of the streets near the rooms because it mostly just looked like a cool addition to the streets. My best hypothesis is that a space on an upper level was converted into a separate apartment and to access it there had to be a bridge-like entry that fit into the existing streetscape. This in turn created a storage space and organically altered that space or section of street. Atrani is an amazing place that’s form comes from its remote location and slow development over time. I already can tell I’ll spend a good portion of my life trying to make a pilgrimage back.