Towers in the Light: A Pastel Portrait of San Gimignano
A Glimpse of Serenity After the Storm: Capturing San Gimignano in Pastel Light

I had been chasing the rain all afternoon, hoping it would eventually give way to something remarkable. My camera was packed away in my waterproof bag, lens fogged with humidity, as I trudged up a muddy trail to a familiar hill that overlooks the medieval skyline of San Gimignano. I’ve stood on this hill many times before: watching the seasons change, the vineyards breathe, and the sun melt over ancient stone towers. This time I felt different. Heavier. More expectant.

The storm had just passed. Thick clouds lingered like tired giants receding into the hills behind me, their gray bellies still rumbling faintly. Below, San Gimignano emerged from the mist like a memory - shimmering, softened, surreal. And then the light came. It wasn’t dramatic at first. Just a slow bloom of color from the west, as the sun slipped beneath the final curve of the clouds. A wash of pastel orange, then yellow, flooded the sky. Everything changed. The wet landscape glowed. The tall towers - those iconic medieval sentinels, rose against the horizon like brushstrokes on a fresco, silhouetted yet still cradled in warmth. I reached for my other camera instinctively, fingers fumbling with cold and excitement. The moment was brief, but everything aligned. The light, the clearing air, the quiet after the chaos—it was one of those rare times when the land itself seems to hold still, almost in reverence. From this distance, San Gimignano looked like a dream I had once seen but forgotten. The rain had cleansed the air so completely that the details popped with impossible clarity: the stone walls, the cypress trees dotting the hillsides, the winding roads glistening like ribbons.

What struck me most was the tenderness of the light. It wasn't fiery or bold - it was gentle, almost shy. The storm had painted the sky with soft, translucent hues, as if the world was trying to soothe itself after a tantrum. There was peace in it, and something deeply human.

🖼️ Now available as a fine art print—crafted for interiors that appreciate timeless calm and quiet drama at our shop.

• Camera: Canon 7D
• Lens: 100-400mm
• Filters: Lee
• Limited Edition artworks ship within 4-6 weeks available in: