An image of Florence Cathedral has been named as the ‘Most Beautiful Italian Photograph of the Year 2023‘. Every year, the Wiki Loves Monuments competition, promoted by the Wikimedia project, calls on professionals and amateurs to submit photographs of cultural heritage sites in Italy. The images are judged by a panel of volunteers, followed by a jury of experts, to decide on the top five.
Francesco Schiraldi‘s photograph of Santa Maria del Fiore won first place in this year’s category of religious buildings, with its atmospheric capture of the cityscape, the illuminated cathedral majestically emerging from the shadowy blue surroundings. Runners-up included the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna; the church of Santa Maria della Pietrà in Calascio, Abruzzo; the Duomo of Monreale in Sicily; and the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi.
The objective of the competition is to make people around the world aware of the wealth of Italian heritage by contributing photographs to Wikipedia articles and documenting the most famous (as well as relatively unknown) monuments across the country. Since the Italian edition of Wiki Loves Monuments began in 2012, over 85,000 Italian monuments have been recorded in more than 240,000 photographs, owing to the abundance of cultural sites that Italy has to offer.
All of the images are free for anyone to view and download. The full line-up of entries and winners is accessible online through Wikimedia Commons.
