La Terra Sacra ‘The Sacred Earth’ Photographic works by Dominic Romeo

Dominic was born in Footscray, Melbourne, in 1959. His parents were part of the mass migration of the 1950s, leaving their impoverished villages in Italy in search of a better life. As a byproduct of that generation, he became fascinated by their culture, and over the past 30 years, he has been exhibiting photographic works from many of these rural communities throughout southern Italy and the Abruzzo region.
Living and documenting these rural and remote communities helped him understand this life and existence committed to survival. A life bound by hard physical labour and driven by cyclical patterns, a culture governed and held by family, beliefs, loyalties, and traditions. A society where ceremony, both religious and pagan, of life and death, brims with ancient customs and is driven by faith and superstition.
It explores the deep, ancestral connection between the land and the people who live on it. Here, the soil is more than a resource; it is a living witness to history and spirit.
From the raw tradition of the pig slaughter to the masked devotion of the Festival of St. Antonio Abate, these images document a culture bound by religious faith, paganism, superstition, and the rhythm of the seasons. Through hard labour and ancient customs, these communities sanctify the earth—turning the landscape into a sanctuary of identity.