{"id":37031,"date":"2026-10-21T17:53:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-21T15:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yellowsquare.com\/blog\/\/"},"modified":"2026-10-21T17:53:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-21T15:53:42","slug":"florence-fotoautomatica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yellowsquare.com\/it\/blog\/florence-fotoautomatica\/","title":{"rendered":"Smile, You\u2019re in Florence! A Guide to the City\u2019s Fotoautomatica"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Florence, not every memory has to be a photo in front of the Duomo.<\/span>
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The <\/span>Fotoautomatica<\/b> turns a moment from your trip into a strip of photographs to take with you.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Fotoautomatica?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Today, we take photos all the time. Our phone is always in our pocket, we can check the result right away, delete a shot and take it again. Florence\u2019s Fotoautomatica offer something different: four shots, no filters and a strip of photographs to wait for and then keep.<\/p>\n

They are analog photo booths. The project, active in Florence since 2010, uses machines that take four vertical black-and-white shots and produce a photo strip directly.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s simple: you step into the booth, insert the coin and get ready in front of the lens. Then the shots come. You can\u2019t see the image on a screen or apply a filter afterward: you just have to wait for the result.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s where the fun is.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

During a trip, we collect hundreds of images on our phones. A Fotoautomatica, instead, is something physical: a strip of paper to put in your wallet, a book or your backpack. The images are in black and white and keep the machine\u2019s analog aesthetic, without needing a vintage effect.<\/p>\n

Four shots. 3 euros. A few minutes of waiting. And a memory that doesn\u2019t stay only on your phone.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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A little history<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The story of the Fotoautomatica starts with a question: what happens to old photo booths when they stop being useful?<\/p>\n

Matteo Sani, a Florentine and former set designer, came across old analog booths during his travels around Europe and started looking for them in Eastern Europe. Between Tallinn and Tirana, he recovered machines that had been abandoned with the arrival of digital photography. Some dated back to the 1950s.<\/p>\n

The project arrived in Florence in 2010, when the first analog booth was installed in Largo Alinari, near Santa Maria Novella station. In the following years, other booths were restored and brought back into operation.<\/p>\n

These machines aren\u2019t simply vintage objects: they were restored to work according to the original principle, without a digital camera, screen or preview. Even the developing process takes place inside the booth.<\/p>\n

And why Florence? There is no official explanation connecting the choice to a Florentine tradition. What we do know is that Sani is Florentine and that he chose to bring these machines back to his city.<\/p>\n

Maybe that\u2019s the best part of the story:<\/strong> it\u2019s not a technology that was born in Florence, but something old that found a new life in Florence.<\/p>\n

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Where to find them in Florence<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Fotoautomatica can easily be added to an itinerary for exploring the city.<\/p>\n

Google Maps list: https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/udDSjFLVcgcgMHRt6<\/a><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udccd Largo Fratelli Alinari, 50123 Florence FI
\n\ud83d\udeb6 1 km from the hostel. 20 minutes on foot
\n\ud83d\udcb6 \u20ac3<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udccd Via Santa Monaca, 1, 50124 Florence FI
\n\ud83d\udeb6 2 km from the hostel. 32 minutes on foot
\n\ud83d\udcb6 \u20ac3<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udccd Borgo S. Frediano, 5r, 50124 Florence FI
\n\ud83d\udeb6 2 km from the hostel. 30 minutes on foot
\n\ud83d\udcb6 \u20ac4 – This FOTOAUTOMATICA is in color \ud83c\udf08<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udccd Via del Proconsolo, 19r, 50122 Florence FI
\n\ud83d\udeb6 2 km from the hostel. 32 minutes on foot
\n\ud83d\udcb6 \u20ac3<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udccd V. dell’Agnolo, 117, 50122 Florence FI
\n\ud83d\udeb6 3 km from the hostel. 37 minutes on foot
\n\ud83d\udcb6 \u20ac3<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udca1 <\/span>Tip:<\/b> as you can see in some of the photos, be prepared to wait in line! Some places can get pretty crowded, so bring a little patience with you \ud83d\ude04<\/span><\/p>\n

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How to get the best photo<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A Fotoautomatica isn\u2019t exactly the place to look for the perfect pose. There\u2019s not much time, the flash goes off when you least expect it and you can\u2019t check the result before you have it in your hands. And that\u2019s exactly what makes it fun.<\/p>\n

If you want to take home a strip to keep, here are a few tips:<\/p>\n