Torri Photo Book Preserves Town’s Memories from 1900s to 1970s
A photography book to “enter the album of memories, stimulating the revival of recollections.” Presented at the closing evening of “L’Estate fotografica,” “Torri: andata e ritorno” depicts “some moments of the popular life of the town and its fractions.” Printed with an introduction by journalist Angelo Peretti, it was conceived and written by Mario Girardi, well known in the area for his passion for photography.
One hundred and fifty pages featuring as many photos, with which Girardi aimed to contribute to “preserving the memory of events, characters, and happenings from the early 1900s to the 1970s.” Accompanied by captions, often suggested by the subjects themselves to “stay as close as possible to the protagonists,” the volume is divided into three chapters.
Thematic topics covered in the volume
From the early 1900s to the 1920s, from the 1920s to the 1940s, known as “the years of fascism,” and finally from the 1950s to the 1970s, coinciding with the “economic boom of Torri.” Among the photos, rare images such as the front page of October 1, 1925, of “La Gardesana,” the “bipartisan non-political fortnightly of the Associazione Gardesana for the enhancement of the Veronese shore of the lake.”
This page was dedicated by writer and journalist Berto Barbarani to painter Angelo Dall’Oca Bianca, who at that time had become an honorary citizen of Torri. Additionally, there are other photos related to 1932, the year an airplane crashed in the locality of Saldam, about which few today know the event and the subsequent annual commemorations that lasted until World War II.
Objectives and significance of the book
“The title of the book stems from the desire to take a leap into the past, without ever losing sight of the present,” explained Mario Girardi. “In about a year of work,” he continued, “I managed to assemble these old photos, stored in albums and basements or dusty attics of the elders of Torri.”
Last but not least, it should be mentioned that proceeds from the sale of Girardi’s book will be donated to the Centro Giovanile, recently built by the parish priest of Torri, don Luciano De Agostini. The book is also dedicated to the Piccole suore della Sacra Famiglia (“Little Sisters of the Holy Family”), who “deserved a tangible sign and, above all, an indelible memory—such as a book—for the significant contribution made to the development of Torri.”
Gerardo Musuraca
