It has been a year since Italy identified its first domestic COVID-19 infections, a moment that fundamentally altered the nation’s trajectory and sent shockwaves across the globe. What followed was a period of unprecedented crisis: Italy became the first country outside of China to implement a nationwide lockdown, a desperate measure to contain an outbreak that would ultimately claim more than 105,000 lives. Today, while the world tentatively seeks a return to normality, the scars remains deep; a year on, much of the country remains classified as a “Red Zone”, trapped in a cycle of restrictions and resilience. In a major editorial collaboration with Der Spiegel, we embarked on a journey back to the north of Italy—the region that served as the harrowing epicentre of the European epidemic. This was not merely a retrospective, but a search for answers. By gathering the raw, unfiltered testimonies of the protagonists who lived through those terrible days, we began to uncover significant systemic gaps and oversights in the early management of the pandemic. The repercussions of this reportage have been profound: following our findings, the European Parliament has officially opened an investigation to examine the transparency and efficacy of the response. The production of this report was an immense and emotionally demanding undertaking. I would like to extend my deepest personal gratitude to the entire team at the CAPTA collective for their unwavering support throughout this process. My thanks also go to the journalist Alessandro Puglia and the editorial staff at Der Spiegel for their commitment to rigorous, high-impact journalism. Being part of this team has been a profound privilege. At its core, this work serves as a reminder that the role of the photojournalist is not only to document the event but to provide the evidence necessary for accountability. As Italy continues to navigate the complexities of the Red Zone, stories like these ensure that the lessons of the past year are not forgotten, but used to build a more transparent future.