These Dark Mountains captures the lives of people working in the Italian Alps. The project took place during the traditional pasture season, in which alpine farmers move with their livestock from their permanent settlements in the valleys to temporary settlements in the mountains. This ancient practice, which created one of the most species-rich and diverse landscapes in Europe, is now increasingly threatened by factors such as abandonment and climate change. The images explore the realities of alpine pastures beyond their physical allure and document the ruthless solitude and extraordinary labor required to sustain life at nature’s fragile edge, in a place where the cycle of life and death is present from dawn to dusk.

All images © Giulia Degasperi