In August 1910, the young photographer from Bologna Alessandro Oppi undertook a journey around Lake Garda, starting out from Desenzano, tracing the entire western coast until he reached Riva and Torbole, only to then return to his starting point down the western shore, passing through Peschiera and Sirmione. His aim was to use his "Zeiss Palma" camera to document the places, people and natural beauty of the Garda area in order to enter the competition entitled "Illustrazione di una determinata regione" (“Illustration of a particular region”), held by the Bolognese Photography Circle, which Oppi was later to win with flying colours.

The exhibition will feature more than 200 of these photographs, preserved by the family of the Bolognese photographer, which to today’s gaze – so used to rapidly modified landscapes – offer enchanting snapshots of the places, lands and people to be found along the banks of Lake Garda, captured at the start of those sweeping changes that were to characterise the rest of the 20^th century.