Sestini’s Photography at Belvedere & the Innocenti

The photo show at Forte Belvedere overlooking the Florence skyline

Until October 31: BEAUTY BEYOND LIMITS.  Forte Belvedere, via San Leonardo 1.  Open Tuesday – Sunday from 2 – 7 pm. Free admission.

Aerial photography show, Beauty Beyond Limits, by Massimo Sestini takes popular and undiscovered sights in Tuscany to new heights. Sestini’s work transforms the already beautiful landscapes into abstract works of art, bringing a different perspective to some of the region’s most iconic views and destinations.

Overlooking the Tuscan capital on the grounds of Forte Belvedere, the 20 images stand tall on 3 by 5 meter tarpaulins. Shot above well known places like Florence, Siena, and Prato, Sestini also delves off the beaten path into Maremma and Colline Metallifere.

The photojournalist, a Prato native, is not a stranger when it comes to documenting Italian tradition and landscapes. His spectacular birds eye imagery have become his signature, transcending the traditional limits while photographing landscapes.

Some of the most notable shots in the show include Siena’s Palio festival during the historic bareback horse race, a game of calcio storico in Florence’s Piazza Santa Croce, the nature reserve Diaccia Botrona in Castiglione della Pescaia, and the Val d’Orcia, bare after a summer wheat harvest.

On Sunday, October 25, there will be an interpreter for those with hearing loss. The free guided tour will start at 4 pm. Due to COVID restrictions, space is limited with a group maximum of 14 participants. Reserve a spot by emailing info@muse.comune.fi.it or calling 055 2768224.

For more of Sestini’s work be sure to check out his other show in Florence, Insieme. I bambini tornano a scuola, an emotional and more personal contrast to his high altitude photos. After the six month lockdown, he documents the return of the city’s young children to daycare and preschool at the Innocenti Center in Piazza Santissima Annunziata 13. The show can be viewed Thursday to Monday from 3 to 7 pm at the Museum of the Innocents (Museo degli Innocenti) until November 30. (cathy doherty)