Event: Sacred Bread: A Mediterranean Journey Through the Ancient Rituals of Bread by Stefano Torrione

From 7 May to 28 June 2026, Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan presents SACRED BREAD. Le vie del pane, a photographic exhibition by Stefano Torrione dedicated to one of humanity’s oldest and most symbolic foods: bread.

SACRED BREAD. Le vie del pane
Photographs by Stefano Torrione
May 7 – June 28, 2026
Fabbrica del Vapore, Spazio Messina
Via Giulio Cesare Procaccini, 4, 20154 Milan

Hosted at Spazio Messina, the exhibition brings together 77 black-and-white photographs that trace the ancestral routes of bread across the Mediterranean and beyond. From Mesopotamia to North Africa, from the Horn of Africa to Sardinia, Sicily and Puglia, Torrione’s images follow a cultural map shaped by faith, ritual, migration, craftsmanship and daily life. The exhibition is produced by Fabbrica del Vapore, Comune di Milano and Massimo Pozzi Chiesa with Sinergia Venture.

Bread as Memory, Ritual and Shared Humanity

Bread is simple in its ingredients, yet immense in meaning. Made from flour, water and fire, it has nourished civilizations for millennia, while also becoming a symbol of work, generosity, sacrifice, faith and community. In the traditions explored by Torrione, bread is never only food. It is a gesture, an offering, a form of prayer, a sign of welcome and a bridge between cultures.

The project was inspired by Pane Nostro by Predrag Matvejević, whose reflection on the Mediterranean and its bread traditions became a starting point for Torrione’s long photographic journey. Over more than six years, the photographer and ethnographer followed what he describes as the “great wandering of bread,” entering the deeper layers of Mediterranean civilization, where gestures are handed down from generation to generation and ancient codes still shape daily rituals.

The exhibition is accompanied by a critical text by Gabriel Bauret, who notes that for a photographer whose work has long been rooted in travel and cultural encounters, exploring the tradition of bread and the territories connected to it is a natural choice.

Sixteen Stops Around the Mediterranean

SACRED BREAD unfolds as a circular itinerary in sixteen stages around the Mediterranean basin. The journey moves through Jerusalem, Palestine, Iraq, Mount Athos, Karpathos, Mount Sinai, Lalibela, Sardinia, Sicily, Puglia, the Atlas Mountains, Sarajevo, France, Spain, Algeria and Turkey.

In Jerusalem, Torrione photographs matzah, the unleavened bread of Pesach. In Palestine, Ramadan breads such as ka’ek become part of the visual narrative. In Karbala, Iraq, bread is baked in the street and offered to Shiite pilgrims. On Mount Athos, prosphora remains central to Greek Orthodox liturgy, while in Lalibela, Ethiopia, blessed breads and injera are offered to pilgrims during Genna, the Coptic Christmas.

Italy holds a significant place in the project, with three stops in Sardinia, Sicily and Puglia. In Sardinia, ritual breads are decorated and prepared for religious festivities. In Sicily, votive breads are offered to saints in a variety of symbolic forms, often sculptural and even anthropomorphic. In Puglia, the Arbëreshë community celebrates Saint Joseph with an abundance of blessed breads. These traditions speak not only of devotion, but of the Mediterranean as a crossroads of civilizations, beliefs and shared gestures.

A Humanistic Vision

Torrione’s work belongs to the tradition of humanistic photography, where the camera is not simply a recording device, but a means of restoring dignity, attention and presence to people and places. His black-and-white images invite the viewer to look slowly at hands, faces, tables, ovens, rituals and landscapes. The subject may be bread, but the real portrait is of humanity itself.

The exhibition also carries a quiet contemporary message. In the postface to Pane Nostro, Erri De Luca writes that “bread is a treaty of peace.” This idea runs through the project. At a time when the Mediterranean is often discussed through the language of conflict, borders and crisis, SACRED BREAD reminds us of what cultures have in common: the need to nourish, to gather, to offer, to bless, to share.

Special Event with Giuseppe Cederna

To mark the opening of the exhibition, actor and writer Giuseppe Cederna will present a special monologue on Saturday 9 May at 6 PM titled Il Pane nostro di Stefano Torrione. Un viaggio, un’opera d’arte, un gesto di pace e di speranza mediterranea.

The performance reflects on the Mediterranean as a sea of closeness, memory and shared civilization, evoking the routes of silk, salt, spices, amber, incense, knowledge and faith. Admission to the event is free, without reservation, subject to availability.

About Stefano Torrione

Stefano Torrione has worked professionally since 1992, beginning as a contributor to the Italian magazine Epoca. In 1994, he received the European Kodak Panorama Award in Arles, France. Over the years, he has specialized in geographic and ethnographic reportage, publishing in magazines including Geo, National Geographic Italia, Gulliver, In Viaggio, Bell’Italia and Meridiani Montagne.

His work has taken him across many regions of the world and has been presented in numerous exhibitions. He is currently a professor of photojournalism in the Master’s program in Journalism at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan.

Visitor Information

SACRED BREAD. Le vie del pane
Photographs by Stefano Torrione
7 May to 28 June 2026
Fabbrica del Vapore, Spazio Messina
Milan

Admission is free.

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Friday, 12:30 PM to 7 PM
Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM to 7 PM

Special event:
Saturday 9 May 2026, 6 PM
Giuseppe Cederna in Il Pane nostro di Stefano Torrione
Free entry, no reservation, subject to availability

For more information:
Fabbrica del Vapore: https://www.fabbricadelvapore.org/
Stefano Torrione official website: https://www.stefanotorrione.com