Letizia Battaglia on Beauty, Freedom, and Photography
Letizia Battaglia (Palermo, 1935–2022) defined beauty as the ability to live with truth and dignity. In a 2019 interview in Milan, the photographer reflected on her life: forced marriage at 16, escape after 20 years, and rebirth through photography at 40. She documented mafia murders, psychiatric hospitals, and women's bodies, seeking dignity in every subject. Her iconic 'Bambina col pallone' captured violated innocence. Battaglia founded the Centro Internazionale di Fotografia in Palermo. She cited Ezra Pound ('what you truly love remains') and named influences including Pasolini, Pina Bausch, Marguerite Yourcenar, and designer Ettore Sottsass. She described freedom as a gradual achievement, not a single moment, and emphasized solidarity with women, children, and the marginalized. Her last retrospective was in Milan. She died in 2022.
Key facts
- Letizia Battaglia was born in Palermo in 1935 and died in 2022.
- She was forced into marriage at 16 and had three daughters by age 37.
- She began photographing at age 40, documenting mafia murders and social issues.
- Her photograph 'Bambina col pallone' became a symbol of violated innocence.
- She founded the Centro Internazionale di Fotografia in Palermo.
- In 1979, she staged a theater performance with nude women in Palermo.
- She cited Ezra Pound, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Pina Bausch, and Marguerite Yourcenar as influences.
- The interview was conducted by Emilia Jacobacci in Milan in October 2019.
Entities
Artists
- Letizia Battaglia
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Pina Bausch
- Marguerite Yourcenar
- Ettore Sottsass
- Josef Koudelka
- Franco Zecchin
- Santi Caleca
- Franca Rame
- Ezra Pound
Institutions
- Centro Internazionale di Fotografia
- Artribune
- Shooting the Mafia
Locations
- Palermo
- Italy
- Milan
- Paris
- Sicily