Oltre le mura - itinerario di street art

Oltre le Mura is a contemporary street-art project in Gradara that reimagines the story of Francesca da Rimini. Six Italian artists created murals around the borgo, and a large ceramic mosaic added in 2024 brings the project's literary and visual themes together.

Why it matters

The Comune di Gradara and cultural association Gradara Innova developed the multi-year project to create a contemporary iconography of Francesca. Six artists painted works in and around the historic centre, framing Dante's story in present-day visual language. The project received support through a Regione Marche funding programme for contemporary visual arts.

What to notice

The murals offer distinct interpretations of Paolo and Francesca. Psiko's figures in the town hall courtyard are marked by vivid reds and digital effects. Gola Hundun uses forest imagery to suggest Francesca's freedom of choice. Finnano Fenno's work incorporates an optical-filter technique to reveal lines from Dante's poem. Andreco draws on Canto V of the Inferno, while Tellas uses the elder tree as a motif associated with betrayal and purification. Burla's mural at Fanano gives Francesca a suffragette cap. The 2024 ceramic mosaic by Giovanni Contardi and Roberto Pompucci is nearly three metres tall and more than four metres wide, made from 50,400 individually hand-painted tiles.

Context and history

The project grew from a municipal reflection on Francesca that began in 2019. It extended beyond the murals to include work by local students and young disabled makers from the Viale Trieste school and Coop Labirinto. The ceramic mosaic expanded the project in 2024, combining Contardi's visual design with Pompucci's ceramic practice. Together the works connect Gradara's medieval literary associations with contemporary art and community participation.