The Mediterranean as Seen by the Mediterraneans

We’re excited to present our first edition of “The Mediterranean as Seen by the Mediterraneans.” In the past, we’ve published articles on « Marseille vue par les Marseillais », but we had the heart to expand our reach at Ichtus to more than just francophone countries.

At Ichtus, we’ve searched for the best creatives located all over the Mediterranean with unique stories to tell about their surroundings. Their photos and stories have us itching to travel and to experience many more corners of the Mediterranean with our own eyes.

Antonia Fest

Originally from Germany but growing up in London, I have always felt an urge to explore
not just my own cultures but also those all over the world. I am particularly pulled towards the Mediterranean: the food, the people, the lifestyle is alluring and addictive. At 18, I moved to Florence before returning to London to study History of Art. My studies honed an eye for beauty, which I believe you can only truly appreciate it when you understand what lies beneath the surface. I apply this ethos to my travels and explore towns, countries and cities by digging deep into their roots and seeking to understand what makes each of them special in their own way.

My parents instilled these passions into me. My father wrote a book about travelling through Italy from the south to the north, and it was on this journey that he fell in love with the country and with my mother. I take pride in following in my family’s footsteps, documenting my own travels through words and photography.

My parents taught me about the beauty of the Mediterranean way of life: slowing down and enjoying the little moments, a philosophy that trickles into all aspects of the culture. I like to capture those quiet moments. I avoid the sensational and am instead drawn to the beauty of the simple every day. The subtlest and simplest of pleasures are the ones we should try and remember forever.

My favourite 5 places in the Mediterranean

Ortigia, Sicilia
Calabria
Grimaud, France
Florence, Tuscany
Ostuni, Puglia

Michela Luperto

My name is Michela Luperto, and I’m a communication sciences student based in Lecce, Italy. I aspire to become a photographer. The Mediterranean environment has always inspired me, and I try to grasp every detail, every nuance of it. I adore the light of the south, the vivid colors, the marine atmosphere and all the natural elements.

I love my city, especially from the historical-artistic point of view. For this reason, I have selected some places that I believe are magnificent and that play a significant cultural role:

My favourite 5 places in the Mediterranean :

The Basilica of Santa Croce, the highest manifestation of the Lecce Baroque
Duomo di Lecce and its square
there is the Charles V Castle, the main defensive fortification of the city dating back to the 12th century;
then, the Arc de Triomphe, commonly called Porta Napoli;
the Roman amphitheater of the 2nd century A.D.

Valentina Spano and Gherardo Warner, founders of Mediteránea

We’re Valentina Spano and Gherardo Werner, the founders of Mediteránea, an online home decor store. We’ve had a creative agency for four years but had to stop in March last year due to Covid. We had this idea to create a marketplace dedicated to the Mediterranean, especially home decoration and lifestyle products. And because of Covid, we had a lot of time to spend on the internet and Instagram to find artisans that are close to our style. We choose the artisans, make a contract and put their products on our marketplace website. This is the way Mediteranea was born.

Valentina: I’m from Sardinia, and I’ve always loved the Mediterranean culture and traditions. During Covid, people were taking care of their homes because they had to live in them all the time. I talked with many friends who said they wanted to resize their homes, find new objects and make it more beautiful. I wanted to create a marketplace that can provide them with artisanal craftsmanship in the big cities in Italy, but our aim is to promote Mediterranean craftsmanship worldwide. We choose artisanal products characterized by a minimalistic style that we call New Mediterranean style.

Gherardo: Our goal is to export the Mediterranean to the world with interior design, like the Mediterranean diet that is famous all over the world. We choose products that can fit in houses that are not in the Mediterranean because there’s someone that buys it from London or Paris or from other countries where they don’t feel the sea or the sun. We choose products with simple shapes and colors that have a flavor of tradition but also give an eye to the future. It can fit in an apartment or house in Sweden or Norway.