Photographer who photographed the ship “Vlora” during the 1991 exodus dies at 82

Photojournalist Luca Turi, who captured with his camera the arrival of the ship “Vlora” in Bari on August 8, 1991, has died at the age of 82. Around 20,000 Albanians were on board, having traveled to Italy.

Originally from Bari, Turi devoted around 50 years of his career to documenting the most important developments in the city and the Puglia region. He also worked as a photojournalist for the Italian news agency ANSA.

His funeral will be held on Monday at the Church of San Rocco in Bari.

Bari Mayor Vito Leccese described Luca Turi as a great photographer and an irreplaceable witness to the recent history of Bari and Puglia.

“With the death of Luca Turi, our community has lost a great photographer and an authentic witness to the recent history of Bari and Puglia. Luca always demonstrated an extraordinary ability to understand and convey events, entrusting them to the collective memory with the strength and clarity of his gaze,” Leccese said.

Among the photojournalist’s most important works, the mayor highlighted the series of images documenting the arrival of the ship “Vlora” at the port of Bari on August 8, 1991. The event, linked to one of the largest episodes of Albanian migration to Italy, was documented by Turi in photographs that have remained in the collective memory.

“His photographs remain engraved in all our hearts. Proof of this are the unforgettable images of the arrival of the ship ‘Vlora’ in 1991, which immortalized a great human tragedy and made Bari a city open to the Mediterranean,” Leccese said.

Throughout his career, Turi documented the changes, dramas and hopes of the area, practicing his profession with courage, independence and deep respect for the truth, according to the mayor.

“His gaze will forever remain part of the identity and civic heritage of our city. Goodbye, Luca—you were the image beyond words, Bari’s eye toward the world and the memory of a community that today bids you farewell with gratitude,” the mayor of Bari concluded.