The Loretz Exhibition - Ceramists and Painters between Lodi and Milan

A dynasty of ceramic art

There are families in which art is passed down from father to son. This is the case for the Loretz family, a dynasty of ceramists and painters to whom the Cosway Cultural Hub in Lodi dedicates a major exhibition from March 5th to May 17th, 2026. Curated by Enrico Venturelli, the exhibition brings together over a hundred works from museums and private collections: maiolica, sgraffito ceramics, paintings, and sculptures.

Three generations between Lodi and Milan

The story begins with Carlo Loretz (born in Lodi in 1841), a painter and decorator who rediscovered the tradition of Lodi's medieval sgraffito ceramics. It continues with his son Giano Loretz, co-founder of a ceramic workshop in Milan, and concludes with his grandson Carlo Loretz junior, a painter and heir to the family tradition. A journey through decades of applied art history that inextricably links Lodi to the Lombard capital.

More than just artworks

The exhibition also has a social dimension: young people with neurodivergences are involved in welcoming activities and guided tours, as part of an inclusion project that complements the artistic value of the exhibition. A way to make culture a shared and accessible tool.

A regional heritage

Promoted by the Maria Cosway Foundation together with the Municipality of Lodi and the Danelli Foundation, the exhibition highlights an important and little-known chapter of Lodi's art. For the city of Lodi and its province, it is an opportunity to rediscover a tradition - that of sgraffito ceramics - which has its roots in the Middle Ages and which the Loretz family brought back to life between the 19th and 20th centuries.