Archivio Amoretti: Parma's 20th Century Through Photography

A new exhibition at Palazzo Pigorini in Parma showcases the Amoretti Archive, a collection of 80,000 photographs documenting the city's transformation from 1922 to 1997. Curated by Cristina Casero and Andrea Tinterri (a great-grandson of founder Armando Amoretti), the show selects about 50 images. Armando Amoretti (1897–1969) began his career as a young assistant to photographer Ettore Pesci, later worked in Luigi Vaghi's studio, and opened his own Studio Amoretti in 1938. The earliest photos, including those of the 1922 Barricate di Parma, were taken while he was still at Vaghi's. The exhibition is divided into sections covering historical events (fascist rallies, Liberation crowds), studio portraits, industrial development, and documentation of workshops. The 1997 endpoint marks the creation of a monument to the Barricate. Armando's sons Mario and Giovanni later joined the studio, handling sports and artistic events. The archive offers insight into photography's evolution from commissioned studio work to contemporary art photography and selfies.