Schirmer was already an established landscape painter when he set off for Italy in 1839. The view of Civitella has become iconic thanks to the many artists who spent their summers here and in neighbouring Olevano. The drawing is worked out in detail and painted in watercolours. The vast expanse of the mountain ridge is emphasised by its continuation downwards on the left-hand side. It was recently discovered that the drawing corresponds in many details to a lost drawing attributed to Ludwig Richter. The connection still needs to be clarified.