Italian photography exhibitions highlight rural history and post-war art

Two exhibitions are highlighting the history of Italian photography and rural life from the mid-20th century.

In Edinburgh, Scotland, the Italian Cultural Institute is hosting “Fernanda: Le Foto Ritrovate.” This exhibition features rare photographs taken in the southern Marche region between the late 1930s and mid-1950s. The collection, discovered by filmmaker Giordano Viozzi in his late aunt’s belongings, depicts the lives of “contadini,” or impoverished sharecroppers. These images hold historical significance regarding the Allied prisoners of war who sought refuge with rural families following the September 1943 Armistice.

Meanwhile, the Museo Casa Giorgione in Castelfranco Veneto is hosting “Fotografia italiana 1955. Gli uomini nuovi della fotografia e Gino Oliva.” Running through November 2026, the exhibition features over one hundred works, many of which are vintage or previously unpublished. The show celebrates the post-war era of Italian photography, highlighting figures such as Giuseppe Cavalli, a central figure in the cultural life of Senigallia and a theorist for the La Bussola group, who advocated for photography as an autonomous art form.