This truck with the image of Holy Maria has been driving on Italy’s highways and attracting several street photographers into photographing it against the blue sky. Some of the photographers were aware of the images by others, but still decided to create a version of their own. Photos like these are what led me to start the StreetRepeat project, as they kept appearing in my feed, causing the déjà vu feeling and some confusion. Now I’m happy to share the stories of all three featured photographers and the story behind the religious symbols on lorries in Italy.
Photographer’s Notes:
Nico Ferrara:
Umberto Verdoliva:
David Wilson:
The Story Behind the Lorry Decorations: Our Lady of Medjugorje
The painting portrays the Madonna of Medjugorje – Medjugorje is a town in Bosnia and Herzegovina and a site of catholic pilgrimage due to alleged sightings of the Virgin Mary. The owners of the Detralog logistics company visited the village before installing the paintings on their trucks. It has nothing to do with the company’s brand; it’s a sign of devotion and meant to protect the drivers on the highways.
At the moment there are only two trucks with the Madonna painting as they don’t resist the weather conditions for long, but the company is looking for means to decorate all its lorries. Using religious symbols on objects like vehicles is a common practise in Italy, but this company is the only one with the Madonna of Medjugorje decoration.
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© All the pictures in this post are copyrighted. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.
by Julie Hrudová, founder of StreetRepeat
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