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SUMMER 2021

Sophia Loren receives the Keys to the City

Sophia Loren recently received the keys to the city of Florence on a visit to celebrate the inauguration of a restaurant brand bearing the movie star’s name.

On June 5, the 86-year-old Roman legend with a Neapolitan soul spent an entire day in the Tuscan capital, a city she has visited rarely during her stellar career. At 1pm, Loren was handed the Freedom of the City in the Palazzo Vecchio’s Michelozzo courtyard by Mayor Dario Nardella. The recognition is reserved for dignitaries who have distinguished themselves in the arts. The institutional acknowledgement was followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony at the recently opened restaurant in piazza della Repubblica, much to the delight of the actress’ fans who turned out to welcome the icon. Destination Florence Visitors & Convention Bureau was delighted to welcome Sophia Loren to the city, arranging accommodation for the star and her staff at Hotel Helvetia & Bristol. During her long and distinguished career, Sophia Loren has received two Academy Awards: one for Best Actress in 1962 for La Ciociara and in 1991 for her illustrious career. She also recently obtained the David di Donatello 2021 as Best Actress for the film La vita davanti a sé.

Foto Archivio Locchi

The Foto Locchi photographic archives are considered one of the most important internationally for their artistic and historic value, to the extent that the collection is protected by the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities. Vaunting more than five million photographs showing the history of Florence and Tuscany from the 1930s to the present day, the ever-increasing archive includes images from the sporting, fashion and entertainment worlds as well as everyday life. The aim of Archivio Foto Locchi is to serve as a source of inspiration for anyone wishing to capture Florence and Tuscany through enticing images, in addition to preserving a legacy that acts as a reference for all those interested in the history of Florence. In 1924, Tullio Locchi, a former war reporter and official photographer for the royal family, decided to open his own studio in piazza Vittorio, now piazza della Repubblica. Following his untimely death in 1926, the business was continued by his wife and the Moscato-Corcos family. Silvano Corcos, a photographer and entrepreneur, was responsible for making Foto Locchi one of the most important and renowned studios in Florence. Erika Ghilardi, Silvano’s grand-daughter, now runs the archive, which furthers its cultural purpose today.

DFCVB extends its gratitude to Foto Locchi for the gift of this iconic photograph of Sophia Loren for publication in DF Magazine. ©Archivio Foto Locchi

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