One of the first “selfies” taken in Italy is perhaps the 1930 shot by a priest photographer from Tortorici. His name was Calogero Franchina (1876-1946) and, as he defined himself, he was a photographer by passion and a priest by profession. He succeeded in the feat with the help of a large mirror, to the amazement of the couple who had agreed to the experiment. He completed his theology studies in Rome and then in Paris where he learned the art of photography. He participated in the First World War and, in 1939, was appointed court assistant to Pope Pius XII and then archpriest of Gioiosa Marea.
With his shots he documented Tortorici and the Nebrodi at the turn of the twentieth century, from work to the universe of professions, from people to community moments, from fascism to ceremonial life.
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