Locandine Best · Italian film poster guide
Italian Movie Posters: A Collector's Guide to the Locandina
Italian movie posters are the hand-painted, lithographed film posters printed for cinemas in Italy, and the locandina (about 33 × 70 cm) is the tall, narrow format collectors meet most often. Locandine Best is an independent English guide to them: the formats and their sizes, the painters who made them, how to tell an original from a reproduction, and how to judge condition and value before you buy.
On this page
- Start with the question you have
- What is a locandina?
- Italian movie poster sizes
- The painters behind Italian movie posters
- How to tell an original from a reproduction
- What makes an Italian movie poster valuable
- Storing, linen-backing and framing
- Why the Italian title is different
- Italian poster words in English
- Arrived from an old link?
- Frequently asked questions
Start with the question you have
What is a locandina?
A locandina (plural locandine) is the small vertical Italian film poster, roughly 33 × 70 cm or 13 × 28 inches. Cinemas hung it in their own windows and lobbies, and distributors sent bundles of them to be displayed in shops, bars and barbershops around town, which is why so many survive with pin holes, tape marks or a shopkeeper's stamp.
In everyday Italian the word simply means a small notice or flyer, so you will also see it on theatre bills and event posters. For collectors, though, "locandina" almost always means this cinema format. It is close in shape to the American insert poster, and it usually carries the same painted artwork as the large two-sheet poster, re-composed for a narrow page with the title and credits underneath.
Locandine were printed in larger numbers than the big posters and they fit in an ordinary frame, which makes them the most popular way into Italian movie posters. Many were sent out folded, so a fold line across the middle is normal on an original and is not a defect in itself.
More in What is a locandina? and, for lobby cards, the fotobusta guide.
Italian movie poster sizes
Italian posters come in five common formats. The names count sheets (fogli) of a nominal 70 × 100 cm sheet, so a 2-fogli poster covers the area of two of them. Real posters vary by a centimetre or two from the nominal size because sheets were trimmed by hand, so measure your own poster rather than trusting a listing.
| Format | Approximate size | In inches | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locandina | 33 × 70 cm | 13 × 28 in | Vertical; often folded once; the most collected format |
| Fotobusta | ≈ 47 × 68 cm (post-1960); ≈ 35 × 50 cm (earlier) | 19 × 27 in; 14 × 20 in | Landscape lobby card with film stills; issued in sets |
| 1 foglio (soggettone) | 70 × 100 cm | 27.5 × 39 in | One-sheet; usually folded; some dealers call it a soggettone |
| 2 fogli | 100 × 140 cm | 39 × 55 in | The classic Italian poster; normally one piece, folded |
| 4 fogli | 140 × 200 cm | 55 × 79 in | Printed in two overlapping pieces for billboards |
Measuring tip: measure the paper, not the image, and include the white margin. A poster that is several centimetres smaller than the standard on every side has usually been trimmed, which lowers its value.
Every format, with frame sizes and a measuring routine: Italian movie poster sizes.
The painters behind Italian movie posters
Until the 1990s most Italian film posters were painted by hand, often from studio photographs, then printed by lithography or offset. That is why the same film can look so different in Italy than in its home country: the Italian distributor commissioned new artwork, and the painter signed it, usually in a lower corner of the image.
- Anselmo Ballester (1897–1974), one of the most admired Italian poster painters, known for glamorous portraits of the 1930s–1950s stars.
- Luigi Martinati, born in Florence, admired for elegant, realistic portraits of film stars. He worked alongside Ballester and Alfredo Capitani in the BCM studio.
- Angelo Cesselon (1922–1992), a portraitist named the best film painter of the year in 1955.
- Silvano "Nano" Campeggi, whose artwork for classic Hollywood films of the 1950s and 1960s is among the most recognised in the world.
- Renato Casaro (1935–2025), born in Treviso, who painted over 2,000 posters, among them Flash Gordon, Conan the Barbarian, Octopussy, Red Sonja and Dances With Wolves.
- Sandro Symeoni (also signed Simeoni or Sym), known for bold graphic designs of the 1960s and 1970s, including many genre films.
A signed poster by a sought-after painter is worth more than an unsigned or photographic design for the same film. If the signature is hard to read, compare it with other posters by the artist: every one of them signed in a recognisable way.
Meet all eight painters, with signatures and famous posters, in Italian movie poster artists.
How to tell an original from a reproduction
Reproductions of popular Italian posters are common, and many are sold honestly as decoration. Before paying collector prices, check these six things:
- Size. Originals match the standard formats above. A "locandina" printed on A3 or 50 × 70 cm paper is not an original locandina.
- Paper. Originals are on thin, matte poster paper that has aged evenly. Bright white, heavy or glossy photo paper points to a modern print.
- Printing. Under a magnifier, old lithographs and offset prints show solid ink areas and a regular screen; inkjet prints show fine scattered dots and no texture of their own.
- Folds. Most large Italian posters left the printer folded. Crisp, even fold lines with matching wear fit an original; a rolled 2-fogli from the 1960s deserves a closer look.
- Printer's credit. Most originals carry a small line naming the printing works and city along the bottom margin. Its absence is a warning sign.
- Edition. Re-releases (riedizioni) are genuine posters but sell for less than the first release. Look for a later distributor, a different credit block or the word "riedizione".
Be careful with photographs alone. Colour, paper and printing are hard to judge on a screen. Ask a seller for a close-up of the printer's credit and of an area of solid colour before you buy an expensive poster online.
The full 8-point authenticity checklist adds the loupe test, and riedizione explains re-release posters.
What makes an Italian movie poster valuable
Five things decide what an original Italian poster sells for. The film and the format matter most; the artist, the edition and the condition can then double the price or halve it.
| Factor | Raises the price | Lowers the price |
|---|---|---|
| Film | Classics, cult genres (westerns, gialli, horror, Bond), famous stars | Little-known titles |
| Format | 2-fogli and 4-fogli of major films; rare locandine | Common formats of minor films |
| Artist | Signed work by a sought-after painter | Unsigned photographic designs |
| Edition | First Italian release | Later re-release (riedizione) |
| Condition | Bright colour, clean folds, no losses | Tears, missing paper, stains, trimming, heavy restoration |
Dealers grade condition with words rather than numbers. A common scale runs mint, near mint, very fine, fine, very good, good, fair and poor; read the description, because two sellers rarely grade the same poster alike. Linen-backing (see below) is normal for large posters and does not lower the price when it is done well.
See how to value an Italian poster and what each condition grade means.
Storing, linen-backing and framing
- Store flat or loosely rolled, image outwards, in acid-free tissue, away from damp and direct sun. Do not refold a poster along new lines.
- Linen-backing mounts a poster on acid-free paper and canvas. It flattens folds and stabilises tears, and it is the standard treatment for large folded Italian posters. Use a conservator who works on film posters.
- Frame with UV-filtering glazing and an acid-free mount, and never glue or dry-mount a poster you value: that cannot be undone.
- Avoid tape. Old tape stains through the paper; let a conservator remove it rather than pulling it off.
Step-by-step: linen-backing, storing and framing.
Why the Italian title is different
Italian distributors often gave foreign films a new title, so you need the Italian one to find a poster. Some titles are translations, some are inventions, and a few kept the original. A few well-known examples:
| Original title | Italian title |
|---|---|
| Some Like It Hot (1959) | A qualcuno piace caldo |
| Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) | Colazione da Tiffany |
| Dr. Strangelove (1964) | Il dottor Stranamore |
| The Sound of Music (1965) | Tutti insieme appassionatamente |
| Annie Hall (1977) | Io e Annie |
| Die Hard (1988) | Trappola di cristallo |
| Home Alone (1990) | Mamma, ho perso l'aereo |
| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) | Se mi lasci ti cancello |
Sixty more in Italian titles of American films; genre guides cover spaghetti westerns and giallo and horror.
Italian poster words in English
| Italian | English | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Locandina / locandine | Small poster(s) | The 33 × 70 cm format |
| Manifesto | Poster | Usually a 2-fogli or 4-fogli |
| Foglio / fogli | Sheet(s) | Size of a manifesto: 1, 2 or 4 sheets |
| Fotobusta / fotobuste | Lobby card(s) | Landscape card with film stills |
| Prima edizione | First edition | Printed for the first Italian release |
| Riedizione | Re-release | Printed for a later release; worth less |
| Telato | Linen-backed | Mounted on canvas; folds flattened |
| Piegato / arrotolato | Folded / rolled | How the poster has been kept |
| Bozzetto | Sketch, maquette | The painter's original artwork, not a print |
Fifty-seven terms in the full Italian poster glossary.
Arrived from an old link?
Until 2016 this domain hosted an Italian archive of poster images, and some Wikipedia file pages and discussions still point to it. Those image files are no longer here and we cannot republish them, as the artwork belongs to its painters and distributors. An old address now brings you to this guide; to identify a poster you have, start with the poster finder, which lists the posters Wikipedia still shows, or with its size, its artist's signature and its Italian title.
Frequently asked questions
What does locandina mean?
Locandina is Italian for a small poster or flyer. For film collectors it means the vertical Italian cinema poster of about 33 × 70 cm (13 × 28 in), displayed in cinema windows and shops.
What size is an Italian locandina poster?
About 33 × 70 cm, or 13 × 28 inches. Sizes vary by a centimetre or two because sheets were trimmed by hand.
What is the difference between a locandina and a 2-fogli?
A 2-fogli is the large Italian poster of about 100 × 140 cm, the main billboard format. A locandina is the small 33 × 70 cm version for windows and lobbies, usually with the same artwork re-composed for a narrow page.
What is a fotobusta?
A fotobusta is an Italian lobby card: a landscape card with one or more scenes from the film, issued in sets. Post-1960 cards are about 47 × 68 cm; earlier ones are smaller, about 35 × 50 cm.
Are Italian movie posters folded?
Most were. Large Italian posters and many locandine left the printer folded, so clean, even fold lines are normal on an original and are not counted as damage by most dealers.
How can I tell if an Italian movie poster is original?
Check that the size matches a standard format, that the paper is thin and matte, that the printing shows solid ink rather than inkjet dots, that it has period folds, and that a printer's credit appears in the bottom margin.
Does Locandine Best sell posters?
No. Locandine Best is an independent reference site. We do not sell or appraise posters and we are not linked to any dealer or auction house.
Locandine Best is an independent reference site. We do not sell posters, and we are not affiliated with any auction house, dealer, film distributor or previous owner of this domain.