We do not know a great deal about the time Sigurd Lewerentz (1885-1975) spent travelling around Italy. Among the documents that he left to the Museum of Architecture in Stockholm, there were boxes containing negatives, all wrapped up in paper that had become brittle over time. In these pictures, taken in Italy, the places are barely recognisable, and they reveal a very particular way of approaching ancient remains, focusing on detail and texture, which might help us understand the work of the great Swedish architect.