Pinacoteca a Cielo Aperto (murales di Andrea Ravo Mattoni)

Angera’s open-air pinacoteca brings reproductions of paintings into the town’s historic streets. Created by artist Andrea Ravo Mattoni, the project began in 2016 and grew into a cycle of murals connected with the town’s history and devotional traditions.

Why it matters

The project, titled Una Pinacoteca a cielo aperto, places reproductions of museum paintings on walls in Angera. It began in 2016 after fascist graffiti appeared on historic walls; the municipality’s culture office and local supporters commissioned a work in response. The project’s stated aim is to connect street art with the town’s cultural heritage.

What to notice

The six works documented in the Museo Diffuso include La Scapiliata, after Leonardo da Vinci; Sant’Antonio Abate; a detail of Napo Torriani from the Rocca’s Sala di Giustizia; Santa Liberata; San Quirico; and Ludovico il Moro. The Santa Liberata mural dates to 2019 and recalls the saint’s local association with protection during childbirth.

Context and history

Andrea Ravo Mattoni’s project developed from an initial work in Angera into a group of reproductions installed in the historic centre. The municipality lists the murals as sites within its Museo Diffuso. Their subjects connect well-known works of art with local religious and civic history, including the veneration of Santa Liberata in Angera.