Photographer unknown 1930-1950. The Millevolte siblings: Fernanda, Ubaldo, and Leandro. In the drawer of Fernanda’s old and now abandoned house, the negatives that inspired this exhibition were discovered.
Photographer unknown 1930-1950. Peasant women in the fields.
Photographer unknown 1930-1950. The "Vergara", the woman who managed the household and all domestic activities for the entire peasant family.
Photographer unknown 1930-1950. A sharecropper. A face worn by toil, marked by the harsh life in the fields.
Photographer unknown 1930-1950. A fascist. Photographed intentionally with a double exposure?
Photographer unknown 1930-1950. A family celebration. Despite the hardships, peasants were often in good spirits. Notice, under the window of the house, the plaque reading "Fascist Rural School": Mussolini’s regime had organized schools for children in vast agricultural areas; these schools were often housed in peasant homes, like this one in the Millevolte family’s house.
One of the greatest acts of civil resistance during the Second World War was the courageous actions of the lowliest in Italian society – the contadini (sharecroppers) – who, after the signing of an Armistice between Italy and the Allies in September 1943 and at great risk to themselves sheltered up to 25,000 Allied soldiers who had escaped en masse from PoW camps the length and breadth of the country.
The accidental discovery of this photographic collection hidden in a drawer has brought to light a valuable archive documenting and describing rural life in the typical hillside villages of Le Marche region, in Italy, specifically during the years surrounding the Second World War. These images provide a strikingly neorealist snapshot, echoing the movement that emerged in Italy during the same period, championed by photographers such as Mario De Biasi, Arturo Zavattini, Franco Pinna, Chiara Samugheo, Nino Migliori, and others.
The original collection comprises 150 Ferrania negatives stored in three cases, discovered in 2019 in the home of Ms. Fernanda Millevolte after her passing. The negatives appeared to have aged remarkably well, and further research revealed they had never been printed. The photographs exhibit a degree of amateurism, suggesting the camera was in the hands of someone with little technical experience, likely attempting to emulate the composition techniques of professional photographers. However, it is precisely this amateur quality that gives the collection its extraordinary documentary value. The unpolished style captures raw, unfiltered scenes of everyday life, offering a genuine glimpse into the historical period.
Despite extensive research, it was initially impossible to identify either the photographer or the subjects depicted in the photographs. The images were exhibited in Le Marche region on two occasions, in 2019 and 2024, in the area where they were presumably taken, near the hometown of Ms. Fernanda Millevolte, with the purpose of identifying the individuals portrayed. This effort led to the recognition of approximately half of the people featured in the photographs, but the photographer remains unknown.
Curated by Giordano Viozzi and Valentina Cicarilli of the “Associazione La Casa della Memoria” in collaboration with the Monte San Martino Trust, this exhibition for Format Festival highlights not only the significance of these photographs but also the contadini’s quiet heroism. For over twenty years, both organizations have been conducting historical research on Civil Resistance working tirelessly to commemorate these acts of heroism in support of the Allies and to bring stories of civil resistance to light. The bonds forged during wartime between the contadini and Allied soldiers, and the bravery of those who risked their lives to protect strangers, inspired the formation of the Monte San Martino Trust. This collection places the contadini and their subsistence lifestyle at the center of the narrative, illustrating how their courage and resilience became symbols of humanity and solidarity during one of history’s darkest times.
Text by Giordano Viozzi and Valentina Cicarilli for Associazione La Casadella Memoria di Servigliano and Anne Copley for Monte San Martino Trust.
