Image: Museo Civico San Domenico, Forlì
Museo Civico San Domenico in Forlì has marked the official closure of 'Barocco. Il Gran Teatro delle Idee', the museum said in a farewell message thanking visitors for “this journey together.” The exhibition, which ran from 21 February to 28 June 2026, ended after attracting 80,000 visitors and presenting more than 300 works drawn from major museums and institutions around the world.
In the museum’s account, the project brought together loans from institutions including the Museo del Prado in Madrid, the Albertina in Vienna, the Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica in Rome, the Uffizi, and the Vatican Museums. The exhibition’s scale and the range of its lenders positioned Forlì as a stop for visitors interested in a broad international survey of Baroque art and ideas, with the museum framing the show as an ambitious and internationally focused undertaking.
The closing message emphasized that the exhibition’s impact extended beyond attendance figures. According to the museum, conservation activity linked to the project resulted in 25 restorations of works of art, with the restored pieces returned to the public and to future generations in improved conservation conditions. The institution also said the exhibition supported social initiatives through a partnership with Mediafriends, which helped sustain Caritas Italiana’s Progetto Ruth, dedicated to women who have experienced violence.
The museum further highlighted the exhibition’s territorial reach in Romagna. It said more than 130 events spread across the region helped connect the exhibition with local institutions, associations and residents, turning the project into a shared cultural experience beyond the museum’s walls. The statement presented that public involvement as part of the wider life of the exhibition rather than as a separate programme.
'Barocco. Il Gran Teatro delle Idee' was presented at Museo Civico San Domenico in Forlì, and the museum’s closing note makes clear that the show was both a major exhibition and a centre of surrounding activity. The institution credited curators, partners, museums and the many people involved in delivering the project, while also thanking the public for taking part in what it called a journey marked by art, history and wonder.
The farewell message ended with a forward-looking note: while the lights of 'Barocco' were going out, the rooms of Museo Civico San Domenico were already preparing to welcome a new exhibition. The museum did not announce that next project in the message, but said the countdown had already begun.
