Photographer Captures Surreal Footage of an Italian Town Situated Above a Sea of Clouds

When people picture paradise, or heaven, they usually imagine a grand city situated above clouds with surreal palaces, enchanting forests, and smiling gods. Finding a paradise like this in real life sounds like a pure fantasy, unless you are in Southern Italy. Tucked within the heart of Southern Italy is a town located in a valley of clouds. Daniele Ceravolo (@dani_ceravolo), a photographer, visited the town and recorded footage of this otherworldly city. Ever since, the video has been circulated hundreds, if not thousands of times, across social media.

Dubbed “Rotondella,” this cloud village appears to come straight out of mythology. Nicknamed “Balcony of the Ionian Sea,” Rotondella is nestling entirely within the clouded zone of Mount Copollo, a towering peak that looms in the southern direction from the hilltop ground of Basilicata. As the remote town gazes at the immense expanse of the sea as well as at the adjoining Lucanian hinterland, the limestone and dolomite walls of its pyramid-shaped Pollino peaks become lashed by the cool mountain breeze. Here, the breeze is initiated by the intersection of both katabatic and anabatic winds that roll from the Alps to reach here.

The warm gusts of air spiral around the arched alleyways, tunnels, and corridors of Rotondella. Human dwellers, not more than 3,000, reside here. The architecture, too, is no less impressive than that by the architects of paradise, if it exists. Several structures, such as spiraling stairways, ornate facades, carved stone masks, Tucci-Cospito palaces, and handsome arched churches, are seen around the town. But viewers have one doubt – Do the residents of this town have Amazon Prime delivery? After what Ceravolo captured in the video, this doubt seems as plausible as any superstition.

The short footage displays Rotondella engulfed in the embrace of puffy white clouds scurrying softly against a backdrop of orange sunset skies, with silhouettes of hilly peaks rising in a striking contrast. According to a report by Italia.it, Rotondella, was destroyed in the 16th century by the Saracens and was refounded in 1518. Due to its proximity to the southwestern part of the Basilicata town, close to the Ionian sea, its air is usually enshrouded in a wet, temperate, and humid climate. Winds sweeping from the seas lift up moisture and deposit it in the mountain breeze. Periodic rain showers only intensify the coastal weather.

Another footage, he shared from a zoomed angle, reveals this cloud-engulfed castle from up close. In this view, it appears to be punctuated with glittering golden-yellow lights shining from the windows in the architectural mosaic. “What heaven is this!” A viewer named @justgeorgeous2 exclaimed in the comments section. On X, viewers likened it to descriptions like a “magic place,” “breathtakingly spectacular,” “castle of dreams,” and “a city out of a fairytale.” One curious viewer, @kswiftthegreat, commented, “What's it like to actually live there? Food? Sanitation? Plumbing? Doctor access? Education?”

You can follow Daniele Ceravolo (@dani_ceravolo) on Instagram to catch a glimpse into more stunning places across the planet.