Carabinieri
“La Bellezza di un’ Arma senza tempo. Un’ identità nei secoli fedele”
Since we first appeared as a species, we have been telling our stories using the tools at our disposal: cave drawings, stone carvings, manuscripts, and then Gutenberg, right through to the increasingly refined instruments of today. Our epoch is awash with images. Information bombards us continually via our screens, and in real time we let our nearest and dearest know where we are and who we are with by means of selfies.
A photograph is worth a thousand words, and so I am delighted by this new initiative on the part of Carlo Mari, a highly accomplished professional who has already used his talent in partnership with the Arma dei Carabinieri, working with the Carabinieri in Milan on a book of photographs shot during lockdown.
I very much like the fact that the project focuses on Beauty, which is here interpreted in a way that goes beyond mere aesthetics. In the words of the ancient Greeks, who brought so much to our civilisation, kalo`s kai agatho`s (what is beautiful is also good).
The selection of images you can admire on these pages seems to echo the same concept. The posture and expressions of the Carabinieri portrayed here by the author – as well as the evident care they take over their appearance and their pride in their uniforms – all have something to say to us.
They convey emotions and feelings. They speak of a commitment that connotes absolute dedication, a love for the job, and enthusiasm about working for a nationwide organisation at the service of the population. They reflect our identity, which – as encapsulated by the subtitle of this book – has remained true to itself, albeit having been on a long journey that is still driving us tirelessly towards the future.
We are “timeless”, because our closeness to the citizens, the support that our territorial Commands – in synergy with all of the other departments of the organisation – offer the people day in, day out, cannot change.
We remain “loyal throughout the centuries” because an institutional bulwark cannot alter its own infrastructure. The fate of the column is bound up with that of the building it supports; the slightest movement would compromise the stability of the whole. What we have been for the past 207 years, and what we want to continue to be, is a solid pillar for the wonderful construction that our forefathers called Italy.
Every shot in this book is a thank you to those who perform their duties with sacrifice and diligence. And so, it falls to me, as a representative of the Institution, to respond to such a generous and highly appreciated tribute. I would like to extend my gratitude to the author, on behalf of all those featured in (and the many absent from) this collection, who every day, silently, build our safety.
Teo Luzi
General Commander of the Arma dei Carabinieri
Faces and Discoveries of an Institution.
The Arma dei Carabinieri, women, men, servicepersons, citizens
Ferruccio de Bortoli
The beauty of a great story, like that of the Arma dei Carabinieri, is brought to the fore in the images of a great photographer. Carlo Mari’s shots are both a tribute and a testament. They are a tribute because they encapsulate and interpret a general sentiment: the necessary gratitude we feel for the work done, day in, day out, by an armed force at the service of the country. And they are also a testament because they document just how many things the Carabinieri do, and how many different aspects of Italian national life they deal with. Even the most well-informed of readers will find themselves surprised. None of us can say that we are familiar with all of the operations carried out by the various parts of the Arma. From missions overseas to the safeguarding and recovery of works of art, amid Alpine snows and at the bottom of the ocean. There is no task into which the Carabinieri do not provide, directly or indirectly, their input in terms of knowledge, technical skills and humanity.
It is not just about security; or rather, security is guaranteed in myriad different ways, some of them quite unimaginable. During the pandemic, to cite one example amongst many, right across Italy the Carabinieri provided support to the elderly living alone and the sick, perhaps with just a simple telephone call, a word of comfort. Often bringing them their shopping or their pension during days when leaving the house was not recommended and was dangerous. We can say that this book features the first post-pandemic reportage, the most up-to-date journey through the universe of the Arma. To give another example, the fact that technology is profoundly altering the service emerges clearly here. Dangers are multiplying on the web; cybersecurity already constitutes a new, dense frontier of offences that just a few years ago would have been unthinkable. The image of the Carabinieri that is evinced here is one of constant commitment and meticulous preparation.
Mari deploys an array of photographic techniques. Action and adventure are present and correct. He captures the attractiveness of the full dress uniforms, which embody all the majesty of the Arma’s traditions. There is the emotional bond that every Carabiniere feels throughout their entire life towards the institution that they have served. Those who have been discharged feel the duty to make themselves useful through a plethora of activities. Other examples: civil defence or basic, benevolent professional support, without which many public events, in this dramatic period, just would not have taken place. The technique of the posed portrait perhaps stiffens faces and makes gazes look a little unnatural, but it also transmits perfectly the sense of belonging and the pride taken in being a part of something. These are women and men of the Arma who wear different uniforms, taking on the challenges posed by every set of climatic conditions, but remain themselves very much. Behind their eyes, we can glimpse flashes of family life, of normality, at times hard to reconcile with the demands of service. They risk their lives and all too often lose them. They are heroic protagonists in a time-honoured, illustrious story, over the course of which – as in any tale of courage and dedication – mistakes have been made. The greatness of an institution lies, in part, in its willingness to admit those mistakes and correct them. The people portrayed here do not speak. They express themselves through their missions. As we read, look at and browse through this book, thanks to Carlo Mari’s shots we are afforded the opportunity as Italian citizens to say, quite simply, to the Carabinieri: “Thank you”.
Numbered book with FineArt print 40x50cm |
Jumbo Book Size 48x60cm + FineArt print 40x50cm (possible choice between 3 subjects) |
This new photographic experience has led me to immerse myself in a reality that I had started to become acquainted with during the production of the previous book, IO Milano. It came as a further surprise to find myself attracted to and fascinated by this world so rich in extreme nuances, at times reminiscent of a fairy-tale. My work was made possible thanks to many people who believed in what I could do, and who helped me with both body and soul. The full list would be exceptionally long, so I shall limit myself to thanking the Carabinieri as represented by General Commander Teo Luzi, my publisher Massimo Vitta Zelman – along with all of the staff, for their professionalism and patience – and Michele Coppola representing Intesa Sanpaolo. My studio has supported me with great determination and passion; special thanks must go to Silvia Pisani, who co-ordinated the project, to Luca Rossato for his precious and laborious on-site photographic assistance, and to my son CarloAlberto for his underwater support.
I extend a heartfelt vote of thanks to everyone
Carlo Mari.
“Forty years of wide-ranging photographic experiences, all encapsulated in this project, concentrated into a few months. I had to bring to bear all of my expertise, taking in everything from reportage photography to studio photography, using all manner of light conditions, sometimes verging on cinematography. It was a gamble that, without the help and warm, collaborative reception given to me by the members of the Arma, at all ranks, would not have paid off. As it turned out, I was able to describe this organisation, which not everyone knows a great deal about. For me, too, it was a surprise, and a pleasant one at that, which made me proud to be Italian. I encountered exceptional people, who are very well-prepared for dealing with the most extreme and dangerous of situations, but first and foremost they are people who are by our side, always. These are some of the things I wanted to capture, the people in the Arma and the beauty of their uniforms, their cutting-edge methods, without neglecting their courage...”
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