Vicenza is a city in northeast Italy, known for its elegant buildings designed by 16th-century architect Andrea Palladio. Palladio’s designs inspired Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States, in the construction of his home, Monticello. The extent of that influence need not be sought any further than an American’s pocket or change purse: One side of the nickel depicts his plantation in Charlottesville, Virginia which reflects the inspiration from Palladio’s Villa La Rotunda, just outside of Vicenza.
Cathedrals, palaces, museums, and archaeological sites paint a virtual feast for the eyes, especially for a young woman from Georgia who just happens to be a photographer.
I met Susanna Avery-Lynch many years ago when she was a young television reporter. I worked for her father, Lynn, when he served as the station General Manager as I was starting my television career. Her mother, Patsy, was the beloved host of a local television show for many years. Susanna’s skillsets are obviously in the genes.
She no longer works in front of the camera but rather behind it. She no longer lives in Georgia but across the world in Italy. She followed her husband Joe there ten years ago.
Love at first sight? Close enough for Susanna and Joe. He was a sniper with the 75th Ranger regiment at Fort Benning. She was a TV reporter who dreamed of moving up in the business to New York. They met and four months later were married.
Joe medically retired from the Army and had an opportunity to go to college anywhere in the world through the 9/11 GI Bill. They chose Italy. Susanna decided that living a life of adventure beat the hectic life of a TV journalist. They packed their bags, scooped up their rescue pups, and made the 5,000-mile trek to Vicenza. That was 10 years ago and they are still in love with each other, their fur babies, and now with Italy.
And no wonder. Vicenza is one of the most scenic locations of any Armed forces command post. It is located near historic Venice, Italy, and just south of the Swiss Alps. Vicenza has a population of just over 160,000 people. Outside of its thriving cityscape are vineyards, farms, and industrial land developments. Can you say photographers dream?
Expat perks and pitfalls
Joe and Susanna bought a house a few years ago for about the price of a car here in the states.
“It was a 200-year-old home that had a toilet and no shower or modern-day wiring or pipes. It’s been a complete fixer-upper but we kept the original walls and wood beam ceilings,” Susanna explained.
The view obviously makes up for the labor of love, especially since they have been welcomed with open arms to their adopted country.
“Life here isn’t always easy. Just getting a driver’s license was expensive and labor-intensive and the language barrier didn’t help. The test is administered in Italian. Even though I took courses in the language, most of what I learned has come from living here and communicating with our neighbors.”
On the upside, the Lynchs continue to work with Army families, Joe as a military trainer and she as a photographer. American military spouses can’t work in Italy if they are stationed there. That makes Susanna the “go-to” photographer for the local Army base. To be fair, Susanna isn’t in the business alone, Joe often helps with lighting and sets and is a good photographer in his own right.
And Georgia is often on their minds. Many of the military families, they meet or photograph have been stationed at “home” including at Fort Gordon, Fort Stewart, and Fort Benning.
When life hands you a lockdown
Like many countries, Italy was devastated during the pandemic and was in full lockdown from mid-March 2020 forward.
“We couldn’t venture far from home or we faced fines except to go to the grocery store, the drug store, or church. My photography business which included family portraits, graduation pictures, and weddings, pretty much came to a screeching halt.”
If you are a photographer, in a country on lockdown, and there is no one out during lockdown, you focus on your idyllic surroundings.
“One of the most memorable, frustrating, and rewarding photo shoots I’ve done was the eruption of Mt. Etna in Sicily. It started erupting in mid-February and a couple of weeks later, I cleared my schedule and headed that way.”
Susanna described it as a “grand adventure.” Most of the eruptions were in daylight hours but one occurred after dark. She has a souvenir from the lava rock that fell in the area where she was staying. She says the scratches on her car are Mt. Etna’s “signature.”
Pictures worth a thousand words
When life began to return to normal after several months, there were memories to be made, pictures to capture for families who wanted to preserve for posterity their brief stay in the beautiful, historic setting, La Dolce Vita, even if from a distance.
Most of Susanna’s photographs are of ex-pats, or as she refers to herself and Joe, American immigrants. She describes them as kind, sincere, loving, and open-minded. Her ability to connect with those kindred spirits makes for pictures that are more like an art form. Between the subjects and their surroundings, her work almost takes your breath away.
A girl’s best friend
Susanna has made many friends in their village, with the families they photograph, and on her scenic adventures but her most loyal companion is Manny. He was with her and Joe for the trip from here to there and for the jaunts across Europe. More traveled than most of us humans, Manny even has a Romanian stamp on his puppy passport, a requirement to show he is vaccinated.
“Manny is my dog and goes everywhere with me. He’s 15 years old and has arthritis so I carry him around in a backpack. When Joe can’t travel with me, Manny is happy to play ‘man of the house.’ He wasn’t thrilled during the Mt. Etna eruptions and hid in the bathroom the whole time.”
The next chapter
It would be hard to leave this small Italian city with its unexpected beauty and splendor. The Palladian heritage, Roman vestiges, the colorful houses, and tranquil day-to-day life all cry out with stories to be told through pictures.
Susanna, Joe, and their four-legged family have every intention of staying put. Their family from the States comes to visit, because who wouldn’t want to visit Italy and the Lynch family? They have also bought another home a couple of miles away which they envision as a mountain retreat. Alas, it was inexpensive and will be another fixer-upper project.
There is no doubt that on the hike there, backpack Manny will be along for the adventure and Susanna will be capturing unforgettable memories along the way.
Editor’s note: I come from a long line of professional photographers. My sister, her daughter, and my niece’s husband fall under that category. Almost anyone who picks up a camera, or these days a cellphone with a decent camera, is a photographer wannabe. However, I can’t even imagine having the equipment and eye that it takes to get to the level of Susanna Avery Lynch and her husband Joe. Their work is inspiring. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that they have a world of breathtaking beauty right outside their door. No wonder they are working on a book, a compilation of their incredible photography. In bocca al lupo or best wishes as we say in Georgia!
