A journey that starts in the past and arrives in the present—that’s the theme of the photographic exhibition Ritratto di quartiere. Dallo stabilimento Birra Peroni al MACRO (“Portrait of a neighborhood: From the Birra Peroni plant to MACRO”). The exhibition was curated by Carolina Pozzi and Saverio Verini and held in the historic Birra Peroni plant in Porta Pia. The exhibition, hosted as part of the 12th edition of the International Photography Festival, included contributions from locals as well as the Peroni Historical Archive and Museum. Its pictures traced the relationship between the company and the city. From the photographs on display, a ‘vanished’ Rome emerges. Its Vacatio—the main theme of the 12th edition of the Festival—has been filled with new references, but its streets still bear the memory of horses, carts and the scent of beer wort.
The link between Birra Peroni and Rome dates back to 1864. That’s when Francesco Peroni decided to add a production plant to the original factory of Vigevano, to set it up in the future capital of Italy, and to entrust it to his son Giovanni. The plant was first located on via Due Macelli before relocating to Porta Pia in 1901, where it remained until 1970.
The historic factory, expanded and transformed over the years, is now available for city use thanks to its restoration and subsequent redevelopment by the Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome.
