In Evidenza - 19/12/2025 Discovering Tuscany’s Photographic Heritage – Results of the census as of the 10th of November 2025

Regione Toscana presents the initial results of the census entitled “Discovering Tuscany’s Photographic Heritage”, a campaign aimed at surveying the extent of the region's photographic heritage and the needs of those who preserve it.

Discovering Tuscany’s Photographic Heritage is a census campaign launched in June 2025 by Regione Toscana in collaboration with Fondazione Alinari per la Fotografia and Camera - Centro italiano per la fotografia, as part of new dedicated lines of action, the initial results of which were presented at the conference “Conservare e valorizzare la fotografia in Toscana: azioni, strategie e prospettive”, held at Palazzo Bastogi in Florence on the 27th of November 2025.

This campaign, which is still open for participation, is aimed at anyone who preserves photographic heritage in the region and wishes to contribute to this important survey, which is intended to be the first step towards the implementation of new, participatory and shared strategies for the enhancement and promotion of photography and its history in Tuscany.

The census consists of two actions, including a questionnaire designed to gather information directly from the territory on the needs and requirements of those public and private entities that hold photographic heritage in various capacities.

As of the 10th of November 2025, more than eighty entities (including foundations, institutions, corporate archives, author archives) had joined this initiative, whose participation has made it possible to capture a particularly complex “state of photography” in Tuscany, albeit partial and constantly evolving. 

The study of the data collected so far, and published here, provides a picture that reveals the layered sedimentation of this heritage, which bears witness to the heterogeneity of heritage types and classifications, of subjects and interventions, some of which already aimed at its conservation and enhancement.

In this initial phase, the aggregate analysis not only confirms the presence of significant heritage assets in the region, surprising in terms of their size and quality, but also highlights the uneven distribution across provinces and the different types and nature that characterize them. Both quantitatively and historically, this survey already reveals the value and chronological details of the formation of archives and collections, as well as the photographic units they preserve, outlining a timeline from the early 19th century to the present day.

This survey highlights the richness but also the fragility of this heritage, as well as proposals for its greater enhancement and protection: such as specific training requirements for the personnel responsible for its management, or preventive conservation strategies, not only through more adequate physical and material custody of this heritage, but also through dedicated digitization campaigns, which will lead to greater accessibility and appreciation.

The need to promote the heritage and history of photography is accompanied by the region’s focus on the challenges facing current production, as well as an interest in establishing shared channels and strategies, both existing and future, for the development of up-to-date participatory practices.

To learn more, download the document (in Italian).

For information on the census campaign: https://www.regione.toscana.it/-/conosciamo-i-patrimoni-fotografici-in-toscana 
To participate in the questionnaire: https://cultura.toscana.it/conosciamo-i-patrimoni-fotografici-in-toscana 
For further information: censimento.archivi.fotografici@regione.toscana.it