If you are still undecided about which books to put in your suitcase, we suggest some by Marsilio Editori and Marsilio Arte. From Robert Mapplethorpe to Luigi Ghirri, from the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina to the protected landscape of the Dolomites, there is something for everyone

PATRICIA MORRISROE, MAPPLETHORPE. A LIFE
While visitors have until 6 January 2026 to visit the exhibition that Le Stanze della Fotografia in Venice is dedicating to the career of Robert Mapplethorpe, the volume published by Marsilio Editori retraces the life of the American artist through the words of Patricia Morrisroe. Mapplethorpe. Una vita [Mapplethorpe. A life] shines a light on the personal and professional life of the photographer, who was first interviewed by the author ‒ then a correspondent for the Sunday Times Magazine ‒ in 1983. That interview was followed by others, all the way until Mapplethorpe’s death in 1989. The biography, achievements, and challenges faced by the book’s protagonist emerge out of the exciting and contradictory atmosphere of New York at that time, guiding readers on a behind-the-scenes discovery of works that have rightfully entered the annals of photography.

RICCARDO PANATTONI, THE POWER OF THE GAZE. ON THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF LUIGI GHIRRI
The philosopher Riccardo Panattoni has penned a book, published by Marsilio Arte, with an emblematic title, La potenza dello sguardo. Sulla fotografia di Luigi Ghirri [The Power of the Gaze. On the Photography of Luigi Ghirri]. It explores the artistic philosophy of one of Italy’s most renowned photographers, plumbing the depths of the complex realm of the image through the photographic lens of the artist, who passed away in 1992. Using some of Ghirri’s favourite themes and visual horizons as anchors, Panattoni extends the boundaries of his reflection beyond the art of photography, sailing through the waters of philosophy and everyday life and offering new perspectives on the photographer’s work.

MASSIMO SPAMPANI WITH ELEONORA DE FILIPPIS, CORTINA 1956. THE FIRST WINTER OLYMPICS IN ITALY
26 January 1956 was a historic date for Cortina d’Ampezzo and for Italy as a whole. That day, the first Winter Olympics held in our country were inaugurated, and Cortina d’Ampezzo welcomed athletes, professionals, and fans. This book by Cortina-based journalist Massimo Spampani and art historian Eleonora De Filippis, who edited it, published by Fondazione Cortina and Marsilio Arte, contains a series of exquisite photographs and documentary accounts relating to what was an unforgettable event for the local community and the entire country. The memory of which has echoes in the imminent start of the Milano Cortina 2026 XXV Olympic Winter Games and XIV Paralympic Winter Games. A journey through time that reveals great sporting achievements as well as traces of the urban and architectural renewal experienced by the city as it prepared to host the first Winter Olympics in Italy.

ANTONIO G. BORTOLUZZI, MANUEL CICCHETTI, THE DOLOMITES. A PROTECTED LANDSCAPE
Continuing with the theme of mountains, this volume, published by the Veneto Region and Marsilio Arte, is dedicated by writer Antonio G. Bortoluzzi and photographer Manuel Cicchetti to the Dolomites, a UNESCO world heritage site and a protected landscape par excellence. Words and images take readers into the heart of stories and traditions, both personal and collective, that contribute to making the Dolomites a unique and treasured place ‒ both in naturalistic terms and from a community perspective. A place that should be explored and protected, especially in an era dominated by the relentless forces of urbanization and climate change. The book is the third instalment in a series dedicated to the Veneto Region’s UNESCO sites; the other two are Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene [The Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene] and Venezia e la sua laguna [Venice and its Lagoon].

Testo a cura di Arianna Testino