7 Must-See Exhibitions in Italy This Autumn/Winter

Autumn brings with it several fascinating art exhibitions across Italy. We’ve put together a list of those we absolutely won’t be missing!

Correggio500

Di Correggio - Opera propria, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48739503

Until January 31, 2025, the city of Parma celebrates Antonio Allegri, known as Correggio, on the 500th anniversary of the completion of his fresco cycle in the dome of the Basilica of San Giovanni Evangelista. This work is regarded as one of the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance, where Correggio harmoniously fused heaven and earth, showcasing a pictorial virtuosity that has left an indelible mark on art history.

The experience is made even more captivating thanks to Lucio Rossi’s contemporary installation, “Il Cielo per un istante in terra” (“Heaven for a Moment on Earth”). This immersive project allows visitors to quite literally step into Correggio’s pictorial universe. Through Rossi’s installation, visitors are invited to see the frescoes as if surrounded by Correggio’s celestial vision, experiencing the dome’s artistry with renewed depth and emotional resonance. Information.

Vasari 450 in Arezzo

The city of Arezzo is celebrating the great Giorgio Vasari on the 450th anniversary of his death, with a rich calendar of exhibitions and events running until February 2025. These celebrations aim to illuminate the life and artistic achievements of this illustrious figure, exploring his work as both an artist and an architect.

Through thematic exhibitions, guided tours, and curated events, visitors can trace his profound influence, from his pioneering biographical work, Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, to his architectural contributions that still shape the cityscape. Until February 2025.  Information.

Helen Frankenthaler. painting without rules in Florence

Immagine presa dal sito di Palazzo Strozzi

Palazzo Strozzi hosts, until January 26, 2024, an extraordinary retrospective dedicated to the abstract expressionism of the acclaimed American artist Helen Frankenthaler, one of the most influential voices in Abstract Expressionism and Color Field Painting.

The exhibition provides an intense and immersive journey through her bold and revolutionary artistic approach, showcasing over fifty works that allow visitors to delve into Frankenthaler’s innovative soak-stain technique. Information.

Niki de Saint Phalle in Milan

The MUDEC in Milan is hosting the first complete retrospective dedicated to the remarkable Niki de Saint Phalle, offering a unique opportunity to explore the life and work of this extraordinary 20th-century artist and visionary. Divided into eight sections, the exhibition guides visitors through her artistic and personal evolution, revealing the depth of her imagination and the impact of her work.

Among the standout pieces are her celebrated Nanas, monumental, colorful sculptures that exude femininity and vital energy, celebrating strength and joy in bold, vibrant forms. Information.

MUNCH Il grido interiore in Milan

Exhibition views MUNCH il grido interiore, 2024 Palazzo Reale photo credits Pablo Riccomi
Exhibition views MUNCH il grido interiore, 2024 Palazzo Reale photo credits Pablo Riccomi

Until January 26, 2025, Palazzo Reale hosts a major exhibition dedicated to Edvard Munch. Marking 80 years since the death of the renowned Expressionist, the exhibition presents 100 masterpieces that delve into the existential and artistic themes of his work, including iconic pieces such as Starry Night, The Scream, and The Girls on the Bridge.

The exhibition layout guides visitors through Munch’s stylistic and psychological evolution, from the dark tones of his early works to later, lighter compositions, which remain imbued with intense emotional tension. Information.

BOTERO in Rome

Until January 19, 2025, Palazzo Bonaparte hosts an exhibition dedicated to the work of the recently departed master, Fernando Botero. The exhibition gathers a selection of Botero’s most iconic pieces, including paintings, watercolors, and sculptures, offering a comprehensive overview of his remarkable career. Information.

Berthe Morisot. Impressionist Painter in Torino

Until March 9, 2025, the GAM in Turin presents an extraordinary exhibition dedicated to Berthe Morisot, the only woman among the founders of the Impressionist movement. This retrospective celebrates the life and work of a bold and revolutionary artist who, in a male-dominated world, left an indelible mark on modern art.

Through a selection of paintings, sketches, and drawings, visitors are invited to explore the themes closest to Morisot’s heart: feminine intimacy, family portraits, and the gentle allure of landscapes, all captured with delicate brushstrokes and a refined use of light. Information.

The jewels in the paintings of the Uffizi

Silvia Malaguzzi with her book "Diamanti rubini e smeraldi, il linguaggio dei gioielli nei dipinti degli Uffizi"

An interesting book for jewellery enthusiasts that winks at painting lovers has recently been published by our friend and colleague Silvia Malaguzzi. In “Diamanti rubini e smeraldi, il linguaggio dei gioielli nei dipinti degli Uffizi” (Diamonds, rubies and emeralds, the language of jewels in the paintings of the Uffizi) she transformed into a method the idea that many very famous paintings could reveal something new if one analyzes its precious details with the jeweler’s lens. Continue reading “The jewels in the paintings of the Uffizi”

The full spirit of Renaissance

How many times have you seen Botticelli’s Spring? Probably thousands of times, right? In fact, who does not know about Sandro Botticelli’s Spring? It is no coincidence that thousands of people visit the Uffizi Gallery every year to see it in person.

It is certainly a symbol of Renaissance and of ideal Beauty, as well as one of the most loved works by our art historian Lucia Montuschi who often defines it as “the Breath of Renaissance”. A definition inspired by the complex symbology that we find in the painting, a celebration of love, peace and prosperity.

If we look carefully at the painting we can see the outline of two lungs in the vegetation. The first to notice them were the American researchers Blech and Doliner in 2009, who saw this detail right behind the figure of Venus in the center of the famous masterpiece. Can you see them now?

An anatomical representation of a lung was also discovered in the Birth of Venus. According to Davide Lazzeri, a researcher in the study of medicine in art, in the particular shape and color of the cloak held by a figure identified as the Hora of Spring or one of the Graces, a lung can be seen quite clearly. To learn more about the news click here.

The Art Club by Lucia Montuschi

Our 2023 exciting news is the launch of our Art Club, a new project starting on March 6th, the day Michelangelo was born.

In the last two years, we have mainly focused on culture and art lovers who, together with us, strive to deepen their innate curiosity about the people and the works, key to our art history. Thanks to their thirst for knowledge and our dedication to cultural expression, we have decided to start this new adventure by planning 10 art history rendez-vous, which will deal with very original and exciting topics expressly conceived and researched by Dr. Lucia Montuschi.

The Art Club program offers 1 video-recorded lesson per month, for a total of 10 lessons, summing up to almost 5 hours. New content will be released every month, and it will always be available to our subscribers on our video platform.

The Art Club is a subscribers-only service, and it will be held in English by Dr. Lucia Montuschi. The annual cost will be €299 VAT included but, for this first year, we have decided to launch it at a promotional price of €199 VAT included.

The Art Club Program 2023

We are very proud to present this program:

  1. Michelangelo: the man and the spirituality – FREE
  2. Andrea del Sarto and the Florentine Mannerism
  3. The Collections of Lorenzo the Magnificent
  4. Sandro Botticelli and the Ideal Beauty
  5. The three Maestà of the Uffizi
  6. Jacopo Robusti Known as Tintoretto
  7. Becoming Caravaggio
  8. The self-portraits of the Uffizi
  9. The sublime beauty of Raphael
  10. Vasari: Painter and architect in his own right

The first talk about Michelangelo is free. Watch it here

https://lucia-s-school-2dd9.thinkific.com/