Exhibition Dates: Until June30, 2024 Location: Various locations throughout Bologna, Italy There will be around 500 works on display, of which at least a hundred have never been seen, in 18 exhibition venues in the city and in the province.

The “La Pittura a Bologna nel Lungo Ottocento | 1796 – 1915” exhibition is a sprawling showcase of Bolognese painting from the 19th century. Featuring around 500 works, including at least 100 never-before-seen pieces, the exhibition is spread across 18 venues in the city and province of Bologna. Organized by Roberto Martorelli and Isabella Stancari, the exhibition draws on works from the collections of the Museo del Risorgimento, MAMbo, and private collectors. A section of the exhibition is dedicated to the themes of the Risorgimento (Italian unification movement). Among the most famous works is the celebrated “Ritratto di Giovan Maria Damiani in uniforme delle Guide Garibaldine” by Antonio Puccinelli. Rarely exhibited, making this a unique opportunity to see it in person.

Works from MAMbo explore the theme of historical subjects, popular in the 19th century. Landscape painting is represented by neoclassical views by Giacomo Savini. Portraits, sacred art, and urban views are also featured. The exhibition offers a fascinating immersion into the evolution of artistic styles, from academic Neoclassicism to Romanticism, through the naturalistic tendencies of Purism and Realism, to the eclecticism of Historicism and the innovations of the Symbolists and Divisionists.

With the Unification of Italy, Bologna once again became a vital center of the country. A crucial moment confirming this role was the 1888 Emilian Exposition, led by Giosuè Carducci, which saw the city’s candidacy as the cultural capital of the Third Italy. The 19th century also saw the birth of several artistic circles in Bologna.

“La Pittura a Bologna nel Lungo Ottocento” is the largest exhibition ever realized dedicated to exploring the roots and development of art in Bologna, focusing especially on the painting of the “long 19th century.” The exhibition venues include museums, art galleries, foundations, religious buildings, a municipal palace, a historic theater, and a cultural association, distributed between Bologna, Crespellano, and San Giovanni in Persiceto.

Don’t miss this opportunity if you love art! Have you already booked your next stay in Bologna?