"VOLTERRA – Torre delle Prigioni. Il Porcellino. (XII. Secolo)."

(VOLTERRA – Prison Tower. "Little Pig" – 12th century)
archiv nr. 34616

gelatin silver print

photographer and title included

Photograph from a collection of tourism photographs from the first half of the 20^th century, issued by Italian tourism boards. High-quality works by renowned studios, such as the Alinari brothers, were frequently used to promote Italy as a travel destination. With the West German Economic Miracle (Wirtschaftswunder) of the 1950s, these idealized images of longing became a reality: rising prosperity and increased leisure time transformed vacations into a status symbol. Italy – particularly the Riviera and the Adriatic coast – became the number one destination of choice. By the mid-1950s, 4.5 million Germans were already traveling across the Alps, marking the beginning of modern mass tourism.¹

The Torre del Porcellino in Volterra is a good example of high-medieval secular architecture in Tuscany. Erected in the 12^th century and constructed from massive quarry stones, the tower house is striking for its defensive structure and the name-giving stone detail on its facade. A sculpture of a young wild boar (porcellino) resting on a small stone console projects prominently from the tower wall. Later utilized as a prison tower, the monumental structure embodies the defensive architecture of Tuscan city communes during the Hohenstaufen era.

The photograph comes from the famous Alinari studio, which was founded in Florence in 1852 by the brothers Leopoldo, Romualdo, and Giuseppe Alinari. The photographic studio is considered the oldest and most significant enterprise for photography and visual documentation worldwide. The institution achieved global renown through its systematic, masterfully crafted documentation of the cultural and architectural heritage of Tuscany. Created in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, their photographs are characterized by outstanding contrast sharpness and precise image composition. The images produced by the house of Alinari decisively shaped Italy's visual identity and served for decades as key motifs of longing for international cultural tourism.
(Christoph Fuchs)

Note

1
"Geteiltes Deutschland: Modernisierung. Bundesrepublik im Wandel. Tourismus", Lebendiges Museum online, Deutsches Historisches Museum, https://www.hdg.de/lemo/kapitel/geteiltes-deutschland-modernisierung/bundesrepublik-im-wandel/tourismus.html (accessed 26.6.2026)