On Thursday, May 4 2000, SpazioFoto Credito Artigiano, a new photo gallery, opened in Florence. Located in the heart of the city (Via De' Boni, street corner with Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore), with an area of 200 square metres, the new gallery will be regarded as a point of reference for the art photography connoisseurs, just in the place where Italian photography took its first steps. SpazioFoto Credito Artigiano will host photo exhibitions of important artists as well as exhibitions of young talented photographers, focusing in particular on reportage and on international subjects. The first exhibitions that will be mounted at SpazioFoto Credito Artigiano clearly illustrate the principles that will inspire the gallery's activity: the first one, Amoureux, exhibits fifty black and white photos taken by three great artists such as Boubat, Doisneau and Ronis picturing love amidst bursts of passion and close tête-à-têtes. Then, in June, "L'ombra e la luce nella Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano" (Shadow and light in Saint Peter Basilica in Vatican) - will exhibit the temple of Christianity observed through the eye of the young Roman photographer Marco Anelli. Finally, in October, the gallery will host Enfances, the world of children in the pictures taken by fourteen very famous photographers.

SpazioFoto Credito Artigiano will be open from Monday to Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admittance is free. The initiative is meant to support those activities aimed at emphasising the artistic and cultural heritage of the cities where Credito Artigiano operates, i.e. Milan, Rome and Florence. Credito Artigiano (Credito Valtellinese banking Group), in fact, has promoted and organized modern art exhibitions, contemporary art exhibitions and photo exhibitions hosted at Credito Valtellinese Group permanent stand in Milan (the gallery known as "Refettorio delle Stelline"). Since the Gallery opened twelve years ago, authors such as Warhol, Ernst, Brauner, Beuys, Baselitz, Matta, Adami, Kounellis and photographers such as Capa, Cartier-Bresson, Chambi, Doisneau, Mark have exhibited their works there. Among the numerous cultural initiatives that Credito Artigiano has promoted during the last few years, we mention the restoration of the bronze cornucopias that light up the "Confessione nella Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano", the exhibition of Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece "La dama con l'ermellino" (Lady with ermine) in Rome, Milan and Florence, the restoration of the sculpture by Gian Lorenzo Bernini "Apollo e Dafne" (Apollo and Daphne).