Montecchio Emilia Photography Festival

A photographic tradition spanning over forty years

The Montecchio Emilia Photography Festival is one of the most established photographic reviews in Emilia-Romagna. Organized by the Montecchio Emilia Photo Club together with the Association of Reggio Emilia Photographic Circles, the event transforms the Este Castle of the Municipality of Montecchio Emilia, in the province of Reggio Emilia, into a large hub dedicated to the photographic image for over a month. Now in its 41st edition, it has grown over time to become a reference point for amateur photographers, collectors, and professionals.

Exhibitions, meetings, and demonstrations

The heart of the event is the exhibitions set up in the castle halls, which each year present the work of Italian and international authors with different languages and themes: from portraiture to still life, from social and documentary projects to conceptual research and urban architecture. Alongside the exhibitions, the program includes:

• meetings and debates with the authors;
• practical demonstrations of image processing and printing;
• screenings of photographic audiovisuals;
• a section dedicated to the history of photography.

The National Salon of Photographic Collecting

Since 1994, the Photography Festival has concluded with the National Salon of Photographic Collecting, a market fair that brings together exhibitors from all over Italy and traditionally opens the season of photographic fairs. Vintage cameras, lenses, accessories, books, and collectible material attract numerous enthusiasts every year, alongside cultural initiatives and thematic exhibitions on the history of the camera.

An event rooted in the territory

The event enjoys the patronage of the Municipality of Montecchio Emilia and has always combined cultural offerings with a solidarity dimension, supporting projects for the local community. Admission to the exhibitions in the Este Castle is free, a choice that has helped make the Photography Festival a popular and accessible event, capable of attracting visitors from Reggio Emilia, Parma, and the entire Emilia-Romagna region in the heart of winter.