One of my favorite types of places to see and visit, no matter where I’m traveling to is anywhere with beautiful ruins. What I mean by that is any place that was once gloriously lovely, but throughout the years it has deteriorated, or it has been destroyed to the point that it’s no longer functional in its original state. Castles, churches, once prominent buildings or even in some cases, whole cities.
Beauty in the Broken
Just as my mother was before me, I am a collector of seashells. I have some truly stunning shells in my collection, but I get just as excited when I find a shell core. So many shell seekers would just pass them by or toss them aside, but I am drawn to them. The part of the shell that’s considered beautiful is broken off and has been polished away by the waves, the sand, and time. But if you look closely at the cores, they are truly lovely. They remind me of roses, and I love the way that the central part of the shell holds its beauty, despite all the elements working against it. In the very same way, I am intensely attracted to places around the world that are ruins but are captivatingly beautiful.
I find these places to be even more striking and intriguing as ruins because I love to find beauty in broken things. Maybe I’m drawn to this type of attraction because I can identify and connect with these places. We all have things in our past that have hurt us, damaged our spirits, and we’ve come out on the other side. Just because we’ve been broken, doesn’t mean that we are any less beautiful. I actually truly believe that the scars I have (inside and out), make me more intriguing as a human being, because I have lived. I have faced challenges, endured heart ache, and felt broken myself at times. But in the end, I do my best to put the broken pieces back together and become a new and better version of myself.
This whole idea is probably why I particularly love the Japanese art of Kintsugi. It’s the practice of repairing broken pottery by using gold dust mixed with lacquer. There is no real attempt to hide the damage, but the place where the repair was made is simply highlighted with something of value. This only enhances the perceived beauty of the object. I was supposed to go to Japan in 2020, then 2021, then 2022. Looks like 2023 is now the target date for that trip. I can’t wait to learn more about this inspirational art while I’m there.
My favorite Ruins (So Far…)
There are fascinating ruins to be found all over the world. From the famous landmarks of the ancient Greek and Roman empires, to the castles and churches of Europe, to the Mayan pyramids, to the temples of southeast Asia, the opportunities for seeking out the beauty of the past are all around us.
I really enjoyed the day I spent at Pompeii and touring Chichen Itza was fascinating. However, when it comes to the type of beauty I’m looking for, I’m particularly drawn to churches and monasteries for some reason. Luckily for me, there is no shortage of these. Something about the shapes of the stone that are left once everything else has faded away is what is most attractive to me. Especially the sweeping arches of cloisters and the support beams that once held up the domes of these majestical places.
So far, my three favorite sites have been:
The Cappuccini monastery at the Grand Hotel Convento Di Amalfi. The hotel has preserved the ruins of this monastery and they use it for swanky events nowadays. For some reason, the space just speaks to me, and I can’t get enough of it. When I was visiting Amalfi in 2019, the hotel was kind enough to allow us to use the space for a photo shoot, and the results did not disappoint. It is one of the most stunning places I’ve ever been. I was just in awe the whole time I was there, and it felt like magic was hanging in the air.
2. Lisbon’s Convento do Carmo is a medieval convent that was reduced to ruins during the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. It sits on top of a hill overlooking the city, and you can take the city’s famous Santa Justa Lift to get there. The arches here are breathtaking, and the view of the city from up there is equally as beautiful.
3. Whitby Abbey in England. The UK has no shortage of beautiful ruins. In fact, they are abundant. However, this one in particular has stuck with me. It’s a monastery in north Yorkshire and sits on a hill overlooking the town of Whitby, the harbor, and out to sea. Walking through the ruins in hauntingly romantic, and if you squint just right, you can picture it as it once was. With this site, something I enjoyed as well as the abbey was the cemetery. I’m a sucker for unique cemeteries as well.
The Drama
One thing I love about these locations is the drama that the ruins create. Often, they are these crumbing stone ruins set against a modern backdrop or they are perfectly contrasting with the natural beauty of a place (even sometimes nature is taking them back, which is equally as dramatic). Being emersed in the splendor of these juxtapositions is what I like. Standing inside these structures and admiring the beauty of them is truly a humbling experience.