Tuscan Villa from Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence, Italy

Tuscan Villa from Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence captures the idyllic, rolling hillsides that enclose the cradle of the Renaissance. While millions of visitors turn their cameras toward the city center from this famous terrace, looking in the opposite direction reveals intimate views that are often overlooked by tourists—like this traditional country villa nestled deep within a dense grove of olive trees, punctuated by the distinctive, umbrella-like silhouettes of Italian stone pines (Pinus pinea) and slender cypresses.

I used a telephoto lens to compress the perspective of the rolling hillside, bringing out the soft, painterly textures of the olive foliage. The muted greens contrast beautifully with the sharp lines of the villa’s architecture and the vibrant splash of a pink Judas tree in full spring bloom. By framing the scene tightly and focusing purely on the landscape, the image creates an intimate window into the quiet grandeur of the Italian countryside, shot from the very heart of Florence during the early morning.

Copyright Milan Hutera, 2016. All Rights Reserved.