Enrico Bagni’s life and passions are captured on 8mm and Super8 film. From the films, shot exclusively by Enrico, emerges a vivid portrait of the author’s personality and the city and social context around him. Born in Reggio Emilia in 1921, Enrico Bagni returned here in 1951 on a permanent basis after finding employment at Officine Meccaniche Fratelli Lombardini. Thanks to his new job, Enrico managed to acquire the much desired camera and thus began filming his passions and the main events of his home town. In addition to family footage, the films provide unprecedented evidence of the evolution and changes in the life of Reggio Emilia. Among others: the filming of the 1952 Giro d’Italia in which Fausto Coppi’s rapid passage can be glimpsed; the exhibition on ‘Typical products from Reggio Emilia and mechanics in agriculture’ held in the city’s public gardens in 1955 and visited by the then Minister of Agriculture Giuseppe Medici. Also of great interest are the numerous films that Enrico dedicates to documenting his passion for mountains and mountaineering. From climbing to ski mountaineering and the simplest excursions, these films provide an important document on the history and practices of mountaineering and the activities organised by the C.A.I. (Club Alpino Italiano), of which Enrico was a member.

The user can explore the filmic background through a wide selection of sequences shot by Enrico Bagni. Digitised film materials can be viewed in chronological order or via the menu. Short texts, inserted in titles, captions or superimposed on images, introduce, contextualise and give precise indications about people, places and situations. The information was gathered through careful research, documentation and cataloguing. Le informazioni sono state raccolte attraverso un’attenta ricerca, documentazione e catalogazione.

(text by Ilaria Ferretti)