Visione e Memoria Exhibition - Giovanni Giorgi

An exhibition that brings Giovanni Giorgi's Garfagnana back home

In the heart of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, a town in the province of Lucca, Tuscany, the Rocca Ariostesca hosts the monographic exhibition Visione e Memoria from June 20 to September 27, 2026, dedicated to Giovanni Giorgi (1859-1932). A painter, photographer, and graphic artist trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Giorgi left a precious record of life in the Garfagnana valley between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, observed with a documentary sensitivity that now holds significant historical value.

Who was Giovanni Giorgi

Deeply connected to his homeland, Giovanni Giorgi depicted the landscapes, villages, faces, and traditions of the Garfagnana with great attention to detail and reality. His work ranges from landscapes to portraits, and from religious subjects to documentation of the territory: a collection that captures the identity of an Apennine valley during its years of transformation. The exhibition brings together for the first time paintings from private collections, including the famous canvas Castelnuovo in festa, which is rarely displayed to the public.

The venue: the Rocca Ariostesca

The Rocca Ariostesca is the iconic monument of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana: it owes its name to Ludovico Ariosto, who stayed there as governor of the Garfagnana on behalf of the House of Este between 1522 and 1525. Hosting an exhibition here dedicated to a local artist strengthens the bond between the site, its history, and the community's collective memory.

Curatorship and scientific committee

The exhibition is curated by Angelica Giorgi and features a scientific committee composed of Silvestra Bietoletti, Silvio Fioravanti, Iacopo Regoli, Umberto Sereni, and Sergio Suffredini. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalog published by Maria Pacini Fazzi Editore, which documents the works and explores the artist's life.

Promoters and patronage

Visione e Memoria is promoted by the Municipality of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana in collaboration with the Union of Garfagnana Municipalities and the Pro Loco Castelnuovo di Garfagnana APS, with the patronage of the Tuscany Region and the support of the Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca and local sponsors.

Why visit

If you love art rooted in the territory, this exhibition is a rare opportunity: a journey into the Garfagnana of the late 19th century through the eyes of someone who lived and chronicled it. A visit to the Rocca Ariostesca, among the halls that inspired Ariosto and the works of Giorgi, is also a way to discover one of the most evocative villages in the Tuscan Apennines.