Umbria of tradition in the gaze of Steve McCurry, one of the world most famous photographers

A land tells its story through what is cooked, cultivated, and shared at the table: from this perspective, the most authentic interpretations of “Steve McCurry - Umbria” comes, the exhibition on display until May 3rd, 2026, at the San Francesco Museum Complex, bringing to Montefalco the gaze of one of the world most famous and beloved photographers. It is a visual journey where Umbria is savored with the eyes, and taste itself becomes emotion: among the 60 photographs on display in Montefalco, the great photographer also highlights the theme of food and wine, showcasing Umbrian cuisine, food rituals, and conviviality, an authentic expression of Italy cultural heritage.
Umbria thus reveals itself through its food and wine culture, rooted in simplicity, authenticity, and a deep connection to the land. A visual narrative which naturally resonates with Montefalco, a land of great wines and a symbol of agricultural and winemaking traditions which are an integral part of the human landscape portrayed by McCurry. The photographs convey the value of Umbrian cuisine as a cultural experience: not just food, but community, time, seasons, work, and celebration.
The exhibition marks the return of Steve McCurry to Umbria more than ten years after the celebrated “Sensational Umbria”: the 60 photographs - featuring iconic shots from his archive and previously unseen images presented to the public for the first time - create a storytelling which intertwines landscapes, faces, daily rituals, and food culture. Among the themes running through the exhibition, the value of Italian taste emerges strongly, meant as cultural, human, and social heritage. In McCurry images, cuisine becomes a universal language: lavish tables, grape harvests, and traditional gestures which tell the story of Italian cuisine, now recognized as Unesco heritage, an expression of identity, memory, and sharing. A cultural project curated by Biba Giacchetti, which in just a few weeks has recorded a boom in attendance. “I felt it was time to return with an exhibition in a place which had given me so much - explains Steve McCurry -  the years spent working on “Sensational Umbria” were full of warmth, curiosity, and unexpected discoveries. Returning to Montefalco with familiar images and a series of new ones was like closing a circle, or perhaps opening a new one. There was still so much to say about the spirit of this region, and I wanted to share it”.
“Steve McCurry - Umbria” is a photographic journey to be savored with the eyes: from Montefalco to Gubbio, passing through Foligno, Bevagna, Assisi, Perugia, Orvieto, Spoleto, Trevi, Lake Trasimeno, and many unexpected places, as well as major events such as Umbria Jazz, the Quintana of Foligno, the Festa dei Ceri, the Gaite of Bevagna, and the Festival dei Due Mondi.