Culture: introducing ALINARI 24 ORE to enhance the value of 4.5 million photographs

Milan, 26 July 2007. The Il Sole 24 ORE Group and Fratelli Alinari Istituto di Edizioni Artistiche S.p.A. have signed a joint venture to develop and preserve the historic and artistic legacy of the Florence company, title-holder of one of the largest photographic archives in the world with more than 4.5 million photographs. Il Sole 24 Ore Group holds 55 percent of the shares in ALINARI 24 ORE, the new company resulting from the agreement, and Fratelli Alinari owns 45 percent.

 

The joint venture, which is part of Il Sole 24 Ore’s cultural development strategy and comes on the heels of the acquisition of  Motta Architettura and  Arti Grafiche Motta, will place ALINARI 24 ORE among the few big international players in historical, cultural and industrial images and artistic photography.

Fratelli Alinari, which will retain ownership of the real property, the museum and the archives in Florence, in addition to the brand, is a historic name in Italian economics and culture, founded at the dawn of the photography industry, which has continued to add to its legacy over time by acquiring other great photographic archives.

 

“We are proud to contribute to the national and international development of the most important photographic documentation of history, tradition, and customs of the 19th and 20th centuries. Fratelli Alinari will retain its traditional headquarters in Florence and will be able to take advantage of the great synergies and development that a group such as ours can bring," statedClaudio Calabi, C.E.O. of Il Sole 24 ORE.