The idea struck Pio Andrea Peri when he stumbled upon the ancient village of Centuripe by accident while browsing Google Earth. Armed with his drone, he made his way to this hillside settlement to document its captivating beauty.
Nestled in the province of Enna, close to the iconic Mount Etna, the ancient village of Centuripe is perched at a lofty altitude of 730 meters above sea level, affording it a strategic vantage point between Catania and Enna. Due to its elevated position, it was aptly nicknamed the ‘balcony of Sicily’ by Italian General Giuseppe Garibaldi.
The result of Pio Andrea Peri’s endeavor is a series of photographs that reveal a strangely humanoid form within the ancient village of Centuripe. In one striking image, four long flares radiate in different directions, resembling the arms and legs of an outstretched human figure, with a shorter fifth flare forming the beginning of the figure’s head.
Perry commented, “It was quite a challenging and complex scene to capture due to the limitations of approaching the drone’s altitude. I had to take many shots using different techniques and stages to obtain the final image.”
Upon sharing the photograph on his Instagram page on January 3, it garnered significant attention and sparked a flurry of interpretations. Netizens likened it to various entities, including a man, a pentagram, a bird with outstretched wings, and Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian character. However, the uniqueness of the photo has led some to question its authenticity.
Before the wave of photos went viral, the mayor of the ancient village of Centuripe invited photographer Pio Andrea Peri to organize an exhibition featuring his astounding photographs, cementing the village’s place in the annals of captivating and enigmatic destinations.
