Reggio Emilia: the city of photography
The city that was the birthplace of the great photographer Luigi Ghirri is known around the world for hosting the Fotografia Europea Festival every year, one of the leading events on the Italian art scene and one of the best opportunities to visit Reggio Emilia, its hidden places, palaces, glimpses and streets, rediscovering it exhibition after exhibition.•
From modern arches to the renaissance: Upon arriving in the city, a visit to Reggio Emilia's most extraordinary monumental complex of the Chiostri di San Pietro, an ancient Benedictine monastery now a venue for exhibitions, events and cultural festivals, is a must. During the period of Fotografia Europea, the Chiostri are the main venue of the festival.
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Courtyards: As you leave the cloisters and walk down Via Emilia, stop to photograph two of the city's most beautiful courtyards, such as
Palazzo Fontanelli Sacrati, whose inner courtyard, adorned with a well and a large wisteria is one of the most photographed places in the city, or
Caffè Arte e Mestieri, where the aperitif, when the day turns dusk, has a special flavor and the noises of the city seem far away, even though we are in the heart of the historic center.
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From the heritage of Luigi Ghirri to the Fotografia Europea Festival: the beating heart of photography, the Palazzo dei Musei: inside you can admire the work of
Luigi Ghirri and some of the images from past editions of
Fotografia Europea.
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Reggio from above: If you want to photograph the city from an elevated position...you will have to go up to the 2nd floor of Palazzo dei Musei and look out of the windows, where you will admire the whole of
Piazza della Vittoria from above. You will also have to enter H&M and go up to the 2nd floor, from where you will have a crazy view of the nearby Hotel Posta and
Piazza del Monte. Finally, the guided tour on the recently restored
Torre di San Prospero, a true gem of the city, allows you to admire the square from above.
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Sights not to be missed: one of the most photographed spots in the city is Squadroni Street, at the corner of San Carlo Street, from where you can admire the dome of St. George's Church. In addition,
Piazza Casotti, in the spring/summer period will be filled with many colorful umbrellas, which can also be found in the pretty little square of the Church of San Giovanni. You can then visit the most beautiful contemporary fresco in the city: in the vault of the Reading Room of the
Panizzi Library, Sol LeWitt and his team have created a vortex of colors that will leave you speechless. Then, if you are lucky enough to visit the city during the festival, you will also be able to admire cloisters, palaces and many other original exhibition spaces, such as the house inhabited only by artists (which has become a must on the off circuit)!
Guides to the territory that may be of interest to you
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Art and Culture
Contemporary Reggio Emilia is attentive to modernity and the constant change of society, culture and taste.• Mediopadana AV Station: The Santiago Calatrava-designed station is the...
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Art and Culture
Lose yourself in the narrow medieval streets of the historical centre, only to suddenly find the magnificent Estense Castle standing before you, and then go soak in the “Add...
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Piacenza in the Middle Ages was one of the most important European centres: it was a transit as well as a communication way, where ancient roads and the river Po met. Commer...
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Theatres in Piacenza may be divided into two groups: teatro Municipale on the one hand, connected to the 19th century tradition of Melodrama; on the other hand, venues obtai...
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Via Francigena, or Romea, is the pilgrimage road leading from Canterbury to Rome and constituting one of the most important Eauropean arteries in themedieval period. According...
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You can deep yourself in history, starting from the first university of the western world that was founded in 1088 and which still has an important reputation in academic wo...
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During the first half of the 16th century Piacenza became part of the Farnese Duchy, thus approaching, with a slight delay compared to Lombardy, the Italian Renaissance peri...
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Romanesque is one of the most widespread styles in medieval Europe; symbols, forms and figures are the same from North to South. They were devised to help travellers through...
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Piacenza may offers a varied range of museum. People may choose from Ancient or Contemporary Art, as shown by Musei Civici di Palazzo Farnese on the one hand and Galleria di...
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• The Estensi and the Reggian Guilds: At the end of the 18th century Reggio Emilia belonged to the Este family, which had established the capital of their small duchy in Modena. In...
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