Every year takes place in Rome the International Photography Festival, which commissions to a different important photographer a project on the city. Among the many who have participated, we selected four Italian photographers: Olivo Barbieri, Gabriele Basilico, Marco Delogu and Paolo Ventura. To them we have added a New York photographer, Leo Rubinfien, who is currently on the assignment and will give us a sample of his work. Each photographer conveyed to the project his signature style and his identity, but we felt that these particular chosen works shared a common sensitivity toward the beauty of the capital of Italy.

Rome is a city of millenary charm, founded more than 2500 years ago on the banks of a river between seven hills, with the Campidoglio hill facing noon. To photograph Rome is very daunting. The risk of falling into the stereotype of the “postcard picturesque” on one side, and the difficulty of confronting works of incredible quality and infinite beauty, on the other, may have a “freezing effect”: what can you do more?