Gezicht op de Gotthardbahn bij Wasen met bergen en woningen before 1894

This photograph by Giorgio Sommer captures the Gotthardbahn railway near Wasen, set against a backdrop of imposing mountains and nestled houses. The railway itself, a symbol of modernity and connection, cuts through the landscape, coiling around the topography of the valley. This winding path, reminiscent of the serpent, a motif laden with meaning across cultures, is a testament to human ingenuity attempting to tame nature. From the ouroboros of ancient Egypt to the dragons of the East, the serpent represents cyclical time, destruction, and rebirth, a fitting echo for a railway meant to both traverse and transform the landscape. Even in its domestication, the rails retain an untamed quality as they twist across the terrain. The church perched atop the village hill, standing in stark contrast to the modern railway below, creates a powerful symbolic juxtaposition. It speaks to the cyclical nature of human endeavor and the persistent human need for both progress and spiritual grounding.