Ancona Revisited – Photographic Exhibition by Massimo Baldini

A visual and poetic reinterpretation of Ancona

In the spaces of the Mole Vanvitelliana, the ancient pentagonal lazaretto located in the heart of the port of Ancona, from April 18 to June 14, 2026, Ancona Revisited, the photographic exhibition by Massimo Baldini, takes place. It is a visual investigation that rewrites the identity of the Marche capital, presenting a city made up of often overlooked details: the port quays, the curves of the Passetto, the profiles of the Cathedral of San Ciriaco, the faces and peripheral landscapes that make up the true face of Ancona.

Photography and poetry reflecting each other

The project stems from the encounter between Baldini's images and the verses of Franco Scataglini (1930-1994), one of the protagonists of Italian neodialectalism and the poetic voice most intimately linked to Ancona. The poetic texts do not illustrate the photographs, nor do the shots comment on the verses: they reflect each other, strengthen each other, and sometimes contradict each other, constructing a narrative that proceeds through resonances between word and gaze. Massimo Baldini, born in Ancona, holds a degree in Economic Sociology and worked in publishing for over twenty years, dedicating himself exclusively to photography since 2014, investigating what he himself calls the "silent epiphanies" of the city.

The exhibition path

The exhibition brings together 36 large-format photographs (180x180 cm printed on blockout fabric), 59 smaller images (42x60 cm on fine art paper), and 20 panels with Scataglini's verses. The video portrait Esplumeor by Stefano Meldolesi, dedicated to the poet, completes the exhibition. The photographic curation is by Alessia Locatelli, with critical texts by Franco Brevini and Marta Paraventi.

An event for the city

Promoted by Theia ArtGallery with the patronage of the Municipality of Ancona, the exhibition is part of the cultural path that accompanies the city towards the future, enhancing the link between contemporary art, memory, and territory. Ancona, the capital of the province of the same name in the Marche region, thus becomes the subject and protagonist of a story that invites residents and visitors to rediscover familiar places with a new perspective.