Florence and the U.S. The Story of a Friendship: an exhibition at the Giardino Bardini that explores the bond between Florence and the United States
From July 2 to October 18, ten historical photographs from the Locchi Photo Archive trace centuries of friendship between Florence and the United States, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence
A journey through memory that spans history, art, culture, and solidarity to tell the story of one of the city’s deepest and longest-standing international relationships. From July 2 to October 18, the Bardini Garden in Florence will host the exhibition Florence and the U.S.: The Story of a Friendship, a photographic exhibition celebrating the bond between Florence and the United States through ten iconic images from the Locchi Photo Archive.
Sponsored by the Consulate General of the United States of America in Florence, Fondazione CR Firenze, and Fondazione Parchi Monumentali Bardini e Peyron, in collaboration with Gruppo Editoriale, the exhibition was organized to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.
“It is an extraordinary privilege for the Consulate General of the United States of America in Florence to be part of the exhibition ‘Florence and the U.S.: The Story of a Friendship’—comments Daniela Ballard, Consul General of the United States of America in Florence—. The exhibition opens at a special moment: we are marking the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence. Celebrating this anniversary in Florence, with these photographs, in the historic garden of Villa Bardini, is an act of immense symbolic value: it demonstrates that the history of America and the history of the city of Florence are inextricably linked, and that the bond between our peoples has never been merely diplomatic, but deeply human. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the exhibition’s partners for making this dream a reality: the Fondazione CR Firenze, the Fondazione Parchi Monumentali Bardini e Peyron, the Archivio Foto Locchi, and the Gruppo Editoriale.”
Florence and the U.S. The Story of a FriendshipA relationship rooted in history
The friendship between Florence and the United States dates back well before the 20th century. Its origins, in fact, can be traced to the great Tuscan explorers: Amerigo Vespucci, the navigator who gave his name to the American continent, and Giovanni da Verrazzano, a native of Greve in Chianti, who was the first European to explore the bay that is now New York in the 16th century. Joining them was Filippo Mazzei, a Tuscan intellectual and physician close to Thomas Jefferson, whose ideas helped inspire the principles of liberty and equality that would later be enshrined in the American Declaration of Independence.
Photographs from the Locchi Photo Archive chronicle the 20th century
The heart of the exhibition consists of ten historical photographs selected from the Locchi Photo Archive, which holds over five million images documenting the history of Florence from the 1920s to the present. The photographs trace some of the most significant moments in the relationship between the city and the United States: from Florence devastated by World War II to its liberation in August 1944 by the U.S. Fifth Army, including the vital work of the Monuments Men—among them the American art historian Frederick Hartt—who were committed to safeguarding Florence’s artistic heritage. The exhibition also chronicles the return to normalcy in the postwar period, with images of baseball games, popular festivals, the arrival of major Hollywood stars, and the seasons of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, leading up to the growth of American tourism in the city.
Florence and the U.S. The Story of a FriendshipA relationship rooted in historyThe friendshi
p between Florence and the United States dates back well before the 20th century. Its origins, in fact, can be traced to the great Tuscan explorers: Amerigo Vespucci, the navigator who gave his name to the American continent, and Giovanni da Verrazzano, a native of Greve in Chianti, who was the first European to explore the bay that is now New York in the 16th century. Joining them was Filippo Mazzei, a Tuscan intellectual and physician close to Thomas Jefferson, whose ideas helped inspire the principles of liberty and equality that would later be enshrined in the American Declaration of Independence.Photographs from the Locchi Photo Archive chronicle the 20th centuryThe heart of the exhibition consists of ten historical photographs selected from the Locchi Photo Archive, which holds over five million images documenting the history of Florence from the 1920s to the present. The photographs trace some of the most significant moments in the relationship between the city and the United States: from Florence devastated by World War II to its liberation in August 1944 by the U.S. Fifth Army, including the vital work of the Monuments Men—among them the American art historian Frederick Hartt—who were committed to safeguarding Florence’s artistic heritage. The exhibition also chronicles the return to normalcy in the postwar period, with images of baseball games, popular festivals, the arrival of major Hollywood stars, and the seasons of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, leading up to the growth of American tourism in the city.drag embedded assetpublishedFlorence and the U.S.: The Story of a FriendshipFrom Italian Fashion to the Angels of the MudAn important section of the exhibition is dedicated to the birth of Italian fashion, fueled by the interest of American buyers, journalists, and public figures invited to Florence by Giovanni Battista Giorgini, a key figure in establishing “Made in Italy” worldwide. The exhibition concludes with one of the most moving episodes in the city’s recent history: the 1966 flood. The photographs commemorate the Angels of the Mud, including numerous American volunteers who arrived in Florence to help salvage books, works of art, and historical documents, giving rise to one of the first major international movements for the protection of cultural heritage.
The People in the Photographs
Among the faces captured in the exhibited images are several iconic figures of the 20th century, including:
Ted Kennedy, photographed in the National Library, which had been devastated by the flood;
General Mark Clark, commander of the Fifth Army during the liberation of Florence;
fashion designer Emilio Schuberth, a star of the famous fashion shows organized by Giovanni Battista Giorgini;
Hollywood actor Tyrone Power;
Clare Boothe Luce, the first female U.S. ambassador to Italy.
Set against the backdrop of the Bardini Garden, which offers one of the most spectacular panoramic views of Florence, the exhibition creates a dialogue between the historical photographs and the city’s landscape. The images recount a history of encounters, collaborations, and cultural exchanges that continues to this day, reminding us that the relationship between Florence and the United States has not been merely diplomatic, but deeply human.
On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of American Independence, Florence and the U.S.: The Story of a Friendship invites the public to rediscover, through the power of photography, a relationship built over the centuries and destined to be renewed over time.