Quirky Italian Moments (part one)

Way back when I worked full time as an environmental graphic designer, I designed elaborate sign systems for large commercial and health care architecture projects. I worked in this field before the ADA laws went into effect and when the creative possibilities were endless. I now work on mainly print graphic jobs and web design, but my old habit of checking out signage wherever I go is a habit I have yet to break.

All the photos in this post belong to my time spent on Lake Garda after exploring the historical villas and gardens of the northern Italian Lake District with the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art in 2007. Gargnano, the little town close to where I was staying, was once upon a time famous for its lemons and world-famous lemon houses. These citrus fruits had been introduced to Lake Garda during the thirteenth century by the monks of the San Francesco Monastery in Gargnano. Unfortunately the lemon industry was fatally affected by a drop in price and international competition. Despite this decline, the lemon image and its color are still prolific on Lake Garda’s east coast—a detail you won’t fail to notice in the following photos.