Galleria d'Arte Contemporanea di Vasto

The contemporary art collection in Palazzo d'Avalos in Vasto grew from the exhibition “Mediterrania” and the Paglione-Olivares donation to the city. It brings together works by eight artists, four Italian and four Spanish, in the Renaissance palace.

Why it matters

The collection presents contemporary art through a Mediterranean perspective, placing Italian and Spanish artists in dialogue. It forms part of Vasto's civic museum complex and extends the palace's cultural history beyond its archaeological and historical collections.

What to notice

The eight artists represented are Bonichi, Carmassi, De Stefano and Falconi from Italy, and Mensa, Orellana, Ortega and Quetglas from Spain. Their works encompass different approaches to abstraction and figuration. The dialogue among these artistic languages is central to the collection's conception. The palace setting also brings contemporary works into rooms shaped by the history of the d'Avalos residence.

Context and history

Palazzo d'Avalos was the residence of the marquises who governed Vasto. The city later acquired the palace and established a civic museum complex there. The contemporary collection developed from “Mediterrania”; works from the exhibition became a permanent collection through the donation of the Paglione-Olivares family.

The collection's Italian and Spanish artists express a specifically Mediterranean frame. It adds a contemporary chapter to the palace's civic role as a place for preserving and presenting art.