Farewell to Letizia Battaglia, the photojournalist who chronicled the mafia and poverty

Letizia Battaglia, among the most significant photographers and photojournalists of the 20th century in Italy who chronicled the Mafia, from murders to mourning to struggle, and who narrated the lives of the poor and the uprisings of the squares, as well as marginalized realities, always considering photography as a document, leaves us.

The photographer passed away at the age of 87 in her Palermo; she had been ill for some time.

Born in Palermo in 1935, in the early 1970s she began photographing for the Palermo daily L’Ora and for the agency Informazione fotografica. She worked with L’Ora for several years, even after a brief experience in Milan. Back in her hometown, she began to confront the reality of the Mafia, politics and poverty. She also worked alongside the well-known photographer Ferdinando Scianna. In 1992 she documented the assassinations of Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

In his career he has also collaborated with several agencies to make photography his mission. In 2017 he opened the International Center of Photography in Palermo, a vast historical archive that brings together the shots of more than 150 photographers. Her shots have been featured in numerous exhibitions and publications and she has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Eugene Smith and Eric Salomon Award.

Farewell to Letizia Battaglia, the photojournalist who chronicled the mafia and poverty

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