915 Belvedere - Escher's homage to Abruzzo from 1958. It was based on the view from Pettorano sul Gizio, showing the Subequana Valley, on the left the Sirente range and on the right the Gran SassoThe Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher is best remembered today for his hypnotic, geometrically impossible architectural inventions, but not so many are aware of his love for travelling in Italy, and in particular Abruzzo. It was the archaic wilder spaces, which Abruzzo has in such in splendid abundance, that inspired Escher, resonating with his mathematical mind and his lithographic style.Escher criss-crossed Abruzzo with a donkey and horse for company on several occasions during the late 1920s & early 1930s, and his travels among Abruzzo’s small towns and landscapes inspired some of his earliest, and arguably finest artistic work. Despite now being in famous museum collections round the world, there are still many today who recognise the images but not the artist’s name, let alone the region or name of Abruzzo. What many admire in Escher’s depictions of Abruzzo is his ability to imbue the pictures with a serenity that somehow complements the often contorted isolation and sheer contours of the scene. His work superbly illustrates how the journey itself is as important as the end destination. Try visiting any of the villages today and follow a path to see how little has changed in the 100 years since he visited. Scanno - M.C. Escher 1929 Opi - M.C. Escher 1929 Pettorano sul Gizio - M.C. Escher 1929 Villalago - M.C. Escher 1929 Castrovalva - M.C. Escher, 1930, Alfedena - M.C. Escher 1929 Goriano Sicoli - M.C. Escher 1929 Fara San Martino - M.C. Escher, 1928 Alfadena - M.C.Escher 1929 La Valle del Sagittario - M.S Escher, 1930 Chasing Escher in Abruzzo MapA trail showing each of the small mountain and hilltop towns and villages he depicted or whose vistas he drew. A big thank you to Pete Austin, moderator on the Life in Abruzzo facebook group for delving into his books, finding and scanning so much of the imagery used in this article and Antonio Constantini from the FotoamaratiScanno group for sharing imagery of Escher himself. Author: Sam DunhamSam is a very lucky midlife 'mamma' to A who is 13 and juggles her working as a freelance SEO copywriter & teaches IGCSEs at Istituo Cristo Re in Rome. She is the founder of the Life In Abruzzo Cultural Association, co-founder of Let's Blog Abruzzo and 'English in the Woods' initiative.Protecting Abruzzo’s Charm,Empowering Generations to Come:Grow Life in Abruzzo!Support our not-for-profit cultural association via GoFundMe Donate now FREE NEWSLETTER Leave this field empty if you're human: