Santa Justa Mount in Alfândega da Fé (Portugal) is not a mountain in the geographic sense. Nevertheless, it stands out in Trás-os-Montes’ landscape for its flattened conical shape and stony top. As I passed by on a beautiful late afternoon in November, I realized that, except for the summit, the entire hill had been carved into successive levels, accessed via a side ramp.

The trees and bushes have been removed, the soil tilled and planted with vines or fruit trees (from the distance I was, I couldn’t identify the plants that had been used). It is an intensely humanized landscape. However, its elegance and balance attract our attention, and we feel a kind of well-being and happiness when contemplating it. This magnificent moment was captured with a Hasselblad H3D (HC 80 mm lens) and its excellent 31 MP sensor.