Galactic Center Above the Tulips Field

A photo composite of multiple exposures. From the photographer: “It has been just a year since I discovered this wonderful corner of Sicily. It is a small field close to the sanctuary of the Madonna dell’Olio, near the village of Blufi, where every spring the wonder of the flowering of a wild tulip of the Tulipa Radii variety is repeated. The flower is dedicated to the botanist Giuseppe Raddi, who lived between the 18th and 19th centuries.

The plant arrived in Europe in 1573 with the Dutch botanist Carolus Clusius who received the seeds of the plant. It is not clear how this flower was planted in this small field but what is known is that every year it gives us such an impressive sight that let us imagine for a moment that we are in Holland. This year, we had the good fortune to meet Fabrizio, who manages the camp on behalf of the curia of Cefalù. Thanks to him, now the visits are regulated and the land has been fenced in order to avoid the indiscriminate entry of disrespectful people of the place. The visit is allowed to all but a small offer is required which will be used to repay the guardian work and allow further improvements to protect this little corner of paradise. how in the past people came in and collected bunches of tulips, often tearing even the bulb. He also tells us that for a good flowering the soil must be re plowed to allow the separation of the new bulbs from the mother bulbs. Fertilization can also allow the flowers to grow luxuriantly and with a more intense color. For this reason, while Fabrizio cultivates the land for the production of wheat and hay, he simultaneously prepares the field for the next flowering. It is an excellent example of synergy between local agricultural activity and the protection of the beauty of the territory. From this activity all winners come out: Fabrizio who will be able to cultivate your land earning something for the care and protection of tulips, the curia who will be able to admire the nearby sanctuary and the local community that will be able to welcome visiting tourists.

To do justice to such a beautiful place, it was necessary to approach another wonder of nature: the starry sky. Aided by a moonless night, but not devoid of haze, I shot tulips with the Milky Way rising behind the green-cloaked Sicilian hills. In the foreground, however, it is the field of flowers that is the protagonist thanks also to the lighting of the nearby sanctuary which allowed to highlight the many inflorescence with variegated colors. I invite you to look at the shot and close your eyes for a moment. Imagine being there on the spot, in the silence and among the scents of the wet Sicilian countryside. Imagine letting your imagination wander and traveling to other places, perhaps to Holland, making sure that Sicily is transformed into a micro cosmos … after all we are one people under one sky.

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Technical Details: Canon 6d mod, Sigma 50mm, f/2, 1 min, iso 400, 4 shots, + Halpha filter, 1 min, iso 3200, f/2, 8 shots, tracked
Foreground: 1 shot iso 800, f/5.6, 241 sec