Intesa Sanpaolo Opens Maria Callas Exhibition In Milan
The Publifoto archive was acquired by Intesa Sanpaolo in 2015, preventing its loss. More than 1,500 photographs of Maria Callas are stored here
On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of the famous singer Maria Callas, which falls on December 2, the largest Italian banking group Intesa Sanpaolo opened the exhibition “Maria Callas. Portraits from the archive of Publifoto Intesa Sanpaolo,” edited by Aldo Grasso.
The exhibition, sponsored by the Municipality of Milan, will be open to the public from November 9, 2023 to February 18, 2024. This is the first initiative to open Callas100, a program of initiatives organized in November and December by the Municipality of Milan in collaboration with Intesa Sanpaolo, Teatro alla Scala, Gallerie d’Italia, and Piccolo Teatro di Milano, to pay tribute to the famous singer.
In his speech at the opening of the exhibition, Giovanni Bazoli, honorary president of Intesa Sanpaolo, stated, “Gallerie d’Italia on Piazza della Scala, together with Milanese institutions, pays tribute to the most revered opera singer in the world, an incomparable artist linked to the history of the city and its great opera house. The images presented, which convey the exclusivity and charm of Maria Callas, are taken from the archive of Intesa Sanpaolo Publifoto, a precious heritage of collective memory that enriches knowledge of the historical events of our twentieth century.”
As the Nova press agency writes, “the exhibition presents a selection of 91 images from the archive of Publifoto Intesa Sanpaolo, covering the chronological period from 1954 to 1970, many of which are unpublished or have never been exhibited, favoring an image typology characteristic of photojournalism, depicting Callas in everyday life ‘behind the scenes.’ Despite this peculiarity, the exhibition will open and close with two photographs showing the great artist at La Scala: the first photograph, taken on December 1, 1954, shows her with three great conductors – Arturo Toscanini, Victor De Sabata, and Antonino Votto – after one of the rehearsals of La Vestale; the second is dated December 7, 1970 and represents her return to La Scala as a spectator with Wally Toscanini.”
The Publifoto archive was acquired by Intesa Sanpaolo in 2015 in an operation that avoided its loss and is now curated and managed by the Intesa Sanpaolo Historical Archive at the Gallerie d’Italia in Turin. It houses more than 1,500 photographs of Maria Callas, including negatives and ancient engravings, depicting the great soprano on public and private occasions, in a chronological period that follows the most significant years of her career, during her visits to Milan, and more: an exceptional historical and iconographic source capable of providing important details for the reconstruction of the myth of the woman who marked the era.