The Vittorio and Piero Alinari Foundation came into being on 12 February 1974, as the final wish of Anna Maria Alinari (daughter of Vittorio and sister of Piero), the last descendant of the great family of photographers. In her will, she stipulated the institution of this non-profit organisation dedicated to activating and promoting initiatives for the development of Italian artistic and literary culture.
‘Cultivating and spreading knowledge and love for art and literature’ is the Foundation’s mission, and we seek to fulfil it in cooperation with other national and international institutions by offering periodical awards, setting up a historical archive, organising conventions, cultural events, study seminars and work groups.
Helped along by a long-standing agreement with the Federico Del Vecchio Bank for financing institutional initiatives, the Foundation uses interest on its own patrimony to periodically offer the Vittorio Alinari Award ‘to an artist whose painting or sculpture merits particular distinction’ and the Piero Alinari Award ‘to the author of an unpublished historical, literary, scientific or political work’.
The Foundation entered into operation in 1985 after obtaining juridical recognition, and was directed for a long time by Luciano Bausi, formerly mayor of Florence and Italian senator.