The South China Morning Post reports on a contemporary Italian hermit: Fausto Mottalini. The article is titled “Self-isolation tips from a 21st century hermit in ‘ghost’ village in the Alps, where for 14 years he has been the only resident.” Excerpt:
Fausto Mottalini, 69, is the only inhabitant of a medieval Alpine “ghost hamlet” called Sostila in northern Italy. He has lived as a hermit for the past 14 years, and feels safe and protected in his little eyrie, even though the deserted village is in Lombardy. In Italy, one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic, Lombardy is the region which has seen the most Covid-19 cases.
Mottalini is a lucky man. As the sole resident of this hamlet, frozen in time, where even weekend tourists are a rare sight, there’s no risk of him bumping into anyone. He’s free to go out for long treks, where he can gaze across green valleys of sun-kissed meadows where cattle graze, framed by snow-capped mountain peaks.
“Things haven’t changed for me,” he says. “I keep doing the same stuff each day: I wake up early, cut wood for the fire, look after the orchard and greenhouse, and then go out hiking and rock climbing, shooting pictures of nature, flowers and the beautiful scenery. I come back at sunset and prepare dinner. I’m free to go out whenever I want.”
