The May issue is now available in PDF format, and is downloadable for free by clicking here.
Never before had I been able to hear my own footsteps on the sidewalk of the Gran Vía. Not in the middle of a zebra crossing. Alone, with my camera. Shooting the photos I want without the cars or pedestrians interfering with my work. Today I have Madrid for myself, posing naked, illuminated by that particular light that bathes her during sunset. And yet the feeling is not exactly one of joy. The emptiness around me is oppressive. Theaters, cinemas, bars and huge chain stores are closed. It’s just the first day [15 de marzo] and sadness has taken over the street.
I have left home, with the permits in order, of course, as soon as I know that the Government has decreed a state of emergency. I was prepared for this day since the same thing happened in Italy, where I come from. I have followed the news carefully, convinced that this day was coming, and today, Sunday, I took the bike to tour the city pushed by my instinct as a photojournalist. I still do not know how long it will last, if it is going to be days or weeks, perhaps months, but I am dragged by the need to document such an exceptional situation. We live sad, tragic days in many houses, but I feel the need to record these moments, although I still don’t know if someday I will publish any of this material.
There are few cars. Most are from the Police. Drivers do not yet wear face masks. I can see the incredulity on their faces in a situation that seems unreal. At the Prado Museum and the Royal Palace, the queues of tourists and visitors have disappeared. In the Malasaña neighborhood, which always breathes life and animation, there are only a few kids making videos with their mobiles for their social networks. They also need to immortalize what was just unthinkable just a few weeks ago.
I came to Madrid 15 years ago. I remember the first time I walked through the crowd in this same evening light. He came from Naples, a city of narrow streets. Gran Vía, with those tall buildings, seemed a bit like New York. Without its terraces and bars, it is not the same. More than any other, this city is all the people that run through its veins. Hopefully it will be the same again soon.
This article was published in the May issue, which is now available in PDF format, and is downloadable for free by clicking here.
