From 6 February to 3 May 2026, Intesa Sanpaolo opens the photography exhibition La strada per Cortina. VII Giochi Olimpici Invernali 1956 (The Road to Cortina. VII Olympic Winter Games 1956) to the public at its Gallerie d’Italia museum in Milan. Curated by Aldo Grasso, the show presents a selection of photographs produced by the Publifoto Milano news agency, bringing to life key moments from the first Winter Olympics held in Italy, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, from 26 January to 5 February 1956.
Publifoto provided extensive coverage of the event, producing more than 100 reports and 1,400 photographs, with six of its most experienced photographers assigned to the project. In addition to the sports section – whose archive is now largely preserved at the CSAC of the University of Parma, the source of many images in the exhibition – photographers from news and corporate departments were also involved, with companies investing heavily in the event’s communication strategy.
The exhibition features 86 photographs – 84 in black and white and 2 in colour – retracing the event from the early preparations, including the construction of the Olympic Ice Stadium and the Trampolino Italia ski jump, through to behind-the-scenes moments during the Games, from the opening ceremony to the final night. Evocative images of athletes in training or at leisure, spectators and reporters, are shown alongside commissioned photos used by companies to promote their brands during what was then the world’s most important sporting event – all set against the backdrop of Italy’s post-war economic boom.
Cortina 1956™ marked a turning point: it was the first time Italy presented itself as a country capable of staging an international event just a few years after losing the war, regaining credibility on the global stage. Still undergoing reconstruction, the country demonstrated it could efficiently and flawlessly organise a complex event – even broadcasting it live across much of Europe – forever changing the relationship between sport and its audiences.
For the occasion, all 270 photographs (black and white and colour) taken by Publifoto during Cortina 1956™ and held in the Intesa Sanpaolo Publifoto Archive have been restored, digitised, catalogued and made publicly accessible online by the Bank’s Historical Archive at https://asisp.intesasanpaolo.com/publifoto/.
Acquired in 2015 by Intesa Sanpaolo to be preserved and promoted as a national cultural asset, the Publifoto Archive remains an invaluable source for retracing the history of twentieth-century Italy.
The museum in Milan, along with those in Turin, Naples and Vicenza, is part of the Gallerie d’Italia museum project by Intesa Sanpaolo, led by Michele Coppola, Executive Director for Art, Culture and Historical Heritage.
Exhibition curated by Aldo Grasso
La strada per Cortina. VII Giochi Olimpici Invernali 1956
6 February 2026 – 3 May 2026
Gallerie d’Italia – Milan, Intesa Sanpaolo Museum
Piazza della Scala, 6
20121 Milano MI, Italy
www.gallerieditalia.com
www.intesasanpaolo.com
