Photographing Italy

With over 350 illustrations in colour and duotone

This marvellously rich photographic journey through the last sixty years of Italian history will be a joy for anyone who loves photography or Italy – a stunning anthology of some of the most important Italian and international photographers.

The first section records Italy's evolution since 1943 in photographs accompanied by the thoughts of witnesses. The first is by Robert Capa of the arrival of the American army in Sicily in 1943 and in the last, Gabriele Basilico shows the Calabrian coast where the bridge over the Straits of Messina could soon be built. These images encompass all genres: from the work of photojournalists to amateurs, from the first pioneers to contemporary practitioners from the worlds of fashion, architecture, nature photography and artistic experiment.

In Part Two six essays reflect upon moments and movements that have defined the evolution of Italian visual culture, both from the point of view of the creators and the ways in which their images were used.

The third section displays auteur portfolios, each composed of two photo-essays on the same theme, one by an Italian and the other by a non-Italian photographer. These are allied to a text by Ferdinando Scianna, one of Italy’s most prominent photographers.

Giovanna Calvenzi is one of the most prominent figures in European photography today. Currently the Director of Photography for Sportsweek, she has also been the photo-editor at several magazines, notably Amica and Vanity Fair. She has also curated many exhibitions and has sat on several juries, including the World Press Photo award.