Mostra d'arte Paglione

The Paglione Art Collection brings modern painting into Lanciano's Santo Spirito complex. Inaugurated in 2018 as Lo splendore dell'immagine, it originated in Alfredo Paglione's donation to the city.

Why it matters

The collection broadens the artistic history represented in Lanciano's civic museums beyond archaeology and sacred art. Paglione, a collector and gallery owner from Tornareccio, contributed to public collections across Abruzzo; this donation forms part of that regional patronage.

What to notice

The founding group comprises forty-two paintings by Arturo Carmassi, Gaston Orellana, Robert Carroll and Claudio Bonichi. Their different backgrounds bring Italian, Chilean and American experiences into dialogue. The exhibition's title places emphasis on the expressive possibilities of the image, while its setting in a former religious complex contrasts contemporary canvases with historic architecture.

Context and history

The exhibition opened on 16 June 2018 within the Polo Museale Santo Spirito. The former Celestine convent had been adapted for civic cultural use, including archaeological collections. Paglione's gift added another layer to that transformation, placing modern art within a building whose history reaches back to Lanciano's religious institutions.