A portrait of Cervia in the 1960, 1960s and 1970s, by Sante Crepaldi
Who is Sante Crepaldi?
Sante Crepaldi, born in 1931, began his career as a photographer at a very young age in his native Veneto.
After the 1951 flood, he moved to Cesenatico where he continued his activity.
In 1962, with the help, with the help of his wife Anna, he opened a shop in Cervia in Corso Mazzini, later moved to Viale Roma, with a laboratory for printing photographs.
In the 1960s, thanks to constant collaboration with the then Cervia Tourist Board, he documented all the sporting and tourist events: from the Pola-Cervia crossing to the Cantagiro, the visit of the first female astronaut, Valentina Tereskova, the various editions of the Marriage of the Sea, motorbike races, social evenings...
But his work is also made of hard days on the beach to photograph children by the sea, of weddings, confirmations and communions. These were the years when the photographer was called to important events.
In the 1980s, one, one of the services that made him famous was the unforgettable Marriage of the Sea with Pope John Paul II.
In September 2012, Foto Crepaldi closed down, but Sante's passion for photography did not subside and he continues to be a witness to Cervia's history with his images.
8 thematic routes for a journey through memories
Landscape
Some places in Cervia have been frozen in time in some of Sante Crepaldi's shots and we can imagine the atmosphere of those years in Piazza Garibaldi, along the port, in the streets of the town centre.
A heritage that is a wealth for us, for the town and for those who want to discover how Cervia has changed and what aspects we wanted to preserve.
Some of these images are now exhibited on the walls of the Register Office of the Municipality of Cervia, in Via Ressi 6.
The historic Pula-Cervia regatta
140 kilometres, from one shore of the Adriatic to the other, from Italy to Croatia.
A challenge on the waves of the sea with a legendary flavour. This was the Pula-Cervia crossing, a very popular water-skiing race that took place from 1968 to 1973.
Start on the Croatian shore and finish in Cervia, on the canal port, which saw many athletes challenging each other to achieve the best time record in the crossing.
Famous people, the innovative spirit of Romagna's entrepreneurs, the events
From Pineta in Milano Marittima to Giardino d'estate, a club on the crest of a wave in the 60s and 70s, there were many important guests.
Artists and famous people came from all over the world, immortalised by photographer Crepaldi as a testimony to a very famous period.
Demonstrations and events: citizens promote the territory
Already in the 60s and 70s, Cervia was putting into practice what today we call marketing or promotion.
Cervia garden city is an ancient attempt at deseasonalisation: it was born in the 1970s under the name of Maggio in fiore.
There were many manifestations and events organised by the community, the photos of Sante Crepaldi give evidence and memory of them.
The marriage of the sea, the most important festival in Cervia
Marriage to the sea has ancient roots in Cervia: a feast of providence and good omen.
So important, in fact, that at the end of the 1980s photographer Crepaldi was able to immortalise the event blessed by one of the most beloved popes in history: Karol Wojtyla.
The Cervia - Milano Marittima motorbike circuit
It was the 1960s and Cervia and Milano Marittima could not resist the persuasive call of the roaring engines that still characterise the whole of Romagna.
Motors and motorcyclists came from all over the world and Crepaldi was always in the front line.
Customs and society: the Belle époque of the 1900s
The golden years: the almost insane innovation of those who had wings instead of feet.
Everything was possible in those years, even feasting in the middle of the Adriatic or organising bullfights in taverns.
The Italian economic miracle oozes from every shot by Sante Crepaldi.
The Cantagiro: the Tour of Italy of the most beautiful voices of the Golden Years
A colourful caravan of Italian songs that, from north to south and from east to west, filled people with joy.
The Cantagiro had all the features of the Giro d'Italia: stages and rounds, each with a victory, the jury chosen by the people.
The history of Italian song, in the pictures of Sante Crepaldi.
At the end of the exhibition, displayed at the Magazzino del Sale Torre, in the summer of 2013, the exhibition became permanent thanks to the willingness of Sante Crepaldi and his daughter who, with pleasure, wanted to share a rich heritage of culture and memories.
The whole project can be seen on the website of Foto Sante Crepaldi
Official Tourist Information Site of Cervia