Centro della fotografia di Roma - Città delle Arti

Rome takes a historic step in enhancing contemporary visual culture with the launch of its first public centre entirely dedicated to Photography, set to become a new cultural landmark for the city and an international point of reference.
Inaugurated on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Rome–Paris twinning, the Centre occupies the spaces of the former Mattatoio in Testaccio, at the heart of the future “City of the Arts”—an ambitious urban regeneration project transforming one of the capital’s most iconic industrial sites.

Located in Pavilion 9D of the former Mattatoio, the Centre is conceived as a place for the promotion, research and experimentation of Italian and international photography.
The 1,500-square-metre venue, arranged over two levels, has been designed to host multiple activities simultaneously.

The ground floor, covering more than 1,000 square metres, features flexible exhibition spaces, offices, a ticket office and a specialist library with over 3,000 volumes.
The first floor, approximately 450 square metres, includes a multi-purpose hall and a striking exhibition balcony, conceived as a suspended visual pathway.

Particular care has been devoted to enhancing the building’s late 19th-century industrial architecture: cast-iron structures, roof trusses and historic overhead tracks now engage in dialogue with contemporary design solutions. State-of-the-art lighting and climate control systems ensure maximum flexibility for exhibitions.

With the new Photography Centre, Rome adds a vital element to this broader vision: an open, dynamic and international space, where images become tools for knowledge, dialogue and the future.

La Città delle Arti

The Photography Centre forms part of the wider transformation of the Mattatoio di Testaccio, a complex spanning over 105,000 square metres and destined to become one of Europe’s leading cultural hubs.
Thanks to a total investment exceeding €90 million, supported by PNRR and municipal funds, and developed in collaboration with Università Roma Tre and Fondazione Roma, works will continue through to 2027.

Numerous university and exhibition spaces are already in operation, while new construction projects are reshaping pavilions, façades and public areas. Planned facilities include a central Architecture library, a multimedia library with a research centre, a café, a large events pavilion, and a new cycle path directly linking the Mattatoio to the Tiber cycle route.

Cover image: Centro della Fotografia di Roma – Città delle Arti