Camillo Pasquarelli at The Quirinale Palace in Rome

With a background in anthropology, Rome-based Camillo Pasquarelli works as a travel and documentary photographer for both personal and commissioned projects collaborating with magazines across the globe. 

While recently traveling through Paris, Camillo made arrangements to meet with photo editors, curators, and gallerists as he normally does when spending time in a foreign city. The photo editor of Les Echos Week-End magazine wasn’t available at the time, but a few months later she contacted Camillo about an assignment in his own city, documenting the opulence of Rome’s Quirinale Palace.

As one of the primary monuments to life in the Italian Republic, The Quirinale Palace showcases the art, history, and culture of the Italian people. Located in the center of Rome, The Quirinale is the tenth-largest palace in the world  (roughly twenty times the size of the White House). Located on the Quirinal Hill — the highest of the seven hills of Rome — in an area called Monte Cavallo, it has served as the residence for 30 Popes, four Kings, and 12 Presidents of the Italian Republic.

With just three hours allotted for shooting, Camillo was accompanied by the personal photographer of the President of the Italian Republic. Together they toured the ornate rooms as he captured as much of the 110,500 square meters of Palace grounds that the short time would allow. 

I had specific information about what to focus on and the limited time added to the huge extension of the palace made this commission quite challenging.

One of the many rooms within the palace walls Camillo photographed was the “The Office of the President of the Republic.” This is where the President of the Republic holds his official meetings with the invited heads of state and consults with party secretaries. The room is decorated with furniture that dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries, with chandeliers and tapestries that indicate the room’s historic value.

In his time there, Camillo learned about the artifacts such as the President’s desk, which was made in France in the middle of the 18th Century and brought to Rome from the Royal Palace of Parma.

For this native Italian, the opportunity to visit and photograph such an important aspect of Rome’s Italian history made this assignment a unique and memorable experience. Yet Camillo stayed true to his craft and focused on the project’s shotlist to ensure he could provide the client with all the details of this historic treasure.

I wish I had more time to enjoy it a bit more, but it was the first collaboration with a new client and the time was so tight that I was so focused on getting the best out of the location.

Both a freelance photographer and a lecturer at Quasar Institute for Advanced Design in Rome, Camillo focuses mostly on long-term personal projects and documenting the world through the combination of his anthropological approach and the medium of photography. 

See more of Camillo’s photos on Instagram.

Let us help you Find Photographers, source Stock Photography,
Produce Your Shoot, or just reach out to hear more!