Image: Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna
An exhibition connected to the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis’s death will be held from 2 October 2026 to 10 January 2027. It examines the transition between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, described as a crucial moment for art and devotion to the saint. More than 30 paintings from the Pinacoteca’s storerooms will be displayed following cleaning and restoration. For the first time, the exhibition will present together 12 “visionary” paintings by Mastelletta from the Basilica of San Francesco. The selection brings together paintings, drawings, illustrated books and prints, beginning with the large number of works dedicated to Saint Francis by Bolognese painters. It includes works ranging from Francesco Francia to the Carracci, Pietro Faccini, Guido Reni, Francesco Albani and Guercino. The Pinacoteca’s holdings are supplemented by loans from major Italian museums, including the Galleria Borghese, the Musei Capitolini, La Pilotta in Parma and the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche. The exhibition is curated by Luigi Gallo and art historian Elena Rossoni, and has the patronage of the National Committee for the celebration of the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis’s death.
