Florence ’50s ’60s ’70s. Images from the Foto Locchi Archive
The exhibition aims to present not only images but also atmospheres, impressions, transformations, and collective memories, in a narrative that is also a portrait of Florentine identity, focusing on three decades—from the 1950s to the 1970s.
The 1950s represent a social and optimistic period, when Florence becomes an international showcase, blending glamour with La Pira’s utopian vision.
The 1960s appear more intense and dramatic, marked by the 1966 flood and the first youth protests.
Finally, the 1970s depict a more reflective and conceptual city, where the Florentine “fairy tale” fades into a new urban and cultural complexity.
The exhibition features a selection of 150 photographs from the 300,000 that have been digitized from the Foto Locchi archive, which preserves the work of the photographic agency founded in Florence in 1924.
The exhibition is divided into ten thematic sections. The first section opens with the post-war period, the social question, and workers’ mobilizations, as well as the testimony of Don Milani and the revolutionary School of Barbiana; it continues with the dramatic 1966 flood, the squares mobilized during 1968, and the new social movements of the 1970s.
The second section focuses on everyday life: popular traditions, dives into the Arno River, countryside picnics, Sundays at the stadium, and the first supermarkets.
Sport is also widely represented, with a room dedicated to ACF Fiorentina, as well as photographs of the Mille Miglia featuring Tazio Nuvolari in a Ferrari 166 Spider Corsa, and Gino Bartali competing in the Giro d’Italia and training in the countryside.
The exhibition also includes images of Hollywood stars parading through the city, alongside visits by writers, artists, and fashion designers.
Visit it with the Firenzecard!
Photo credits: Foto Locchi/©Archivio Foto Locchi
The 1950s represent a social and optimistic period, when Florence becomes an international showcase, blending glamour with La Pira’s utopian vision.
The 1960s appear more intense and dramatic, marked by the 1966 flood and the first youth protests.
Finally, the 1970s depict a more reflective and conceptual city, where the Florentine “fairy tale” fades into a new urban and cultural complexity.
The exhibition features a selection of 150 photographs from the 300,000 that have been digitized from the Foto Locchi archive, which preserves the work of the photographic agency founded in Florence in 1924.
The exhibition is divided into ten thematic sections. The first section opens with the post-war period, the social question, and workers’ mobilizations, as well as the testimony of Don Milani and the revolutionary School of Barbiana; it continues with the dramatic 1966 flood, the squares mobilized during 1968, and the new social movements of the 1970s.
The second section focuses on everyday life: popular traditions, dives into the Arno River, countryside picnics, Sundays at the stadium, and the first supermarkets.
Sport is also widely represented, with a room dedicated to ACF Fiorentina, as well as photographs of the Mille Miglia featuring Tazio Nuvolari in a Ferrari 166 Spider Corsa, and Gino Bartali competing in the Giro d’Italia and training in the countryside.
The exhibition also includes images of Hollywood stars parading through the city, alongside visits by writers, artists, and fashion designers.
Visit it with the Firenzecard!
Photo credits: Foto Locchi/©Archivio Foto Locchi
Access notes:
Garden: closed first and last Monday of the month; 25th December
The villa remains closed until May 6th
Direct access from the ticket office and entry into the first available visit slot.
Photo gallery
