In the heart of Catania, in the small port of San Giovanni Li Cuti, there exists a human microcosm that escapes the rules and rhythms of the city. It is here that Andrea Salvucci, a psychologist and photographer from the Marche region, has turned his lens to tell the story of The Licutani, a spontaneous community of bathers who gather every day, in every season, among the “cuti lisci” — the smooth lava rocks that characterize the place — to dive into the sea as an act of well-being, resistance, and freedom.
The subjects of this project are not passing tourists, but middle-aged men and women, many retired, others without steady employment or on the margins of society. Some take advantage of their lunch break for a swim, some allow themselves a daily moment of escape, and others simply could not imagine living far from that sea.
There, among splashes and chatter, the quay becomes a stage where authentic humanity emerges — made of bodies, gestures, and personalities that move without filters or roles to play. Some display eccentric and amusing sides with ease, capable of bringing a smile even to the most distracted passersby.
Salvucci, born in Macerata in 1974 and with a photographic journey shaped between reportage and environmental projects, approaches this work with the engaged gaze of someone who knows how to listen before observing. His photography has always focused on the relationship between human beings and the context in which they live, and The Licutani is an emblematic example of this: not mere documentation, but an intimate story of belonging and identity.
For the Licutani, the ideal future requires no grand plans: it’s enough to be able, even tomorrow, to balance on those black rocks, continuing to feel part of that scene which, for them, is home. Salvucci offers a portrait that, while rooted in a precise place, speaks to anyone who has found their own safe harbor, whether real or symbolic.
Andrea Salvucci’s photographs are on display at the Fotografia Calabria Festival until 12 October.
