Ancona, Italy – The Pinacoteca Civica “Francesco Podesti” has reopened to the public after two years of closure, presenting a refreshed permanent exhibition that highlights the city’s rich artistic heritage. This reopening marks a significant milestone for Ancona, restoring its principal museum and reinforcing its role as a key cultural hub in the Marche region.
The new layout reimagines the museum’s permanent collection, offering a cohesive, accessible, and modern visitor journey. The redesigned galleries provide a calm, intuitive flow that connects historical works with the city’s identity, creating a narrative that links Ancona’s past to its present-day cultural aspirations. The exhibition spaces have been updated to enhance viewing conditions, with upgraded lighting and display solutions designed to illuminate the masterpieces without compromising their conservation.
The Pinacoteca preserves a distinguished collection spanning from the fifteenth to the twentieth century, featuring major canvases and pivotal works from across Italian painting. Highlights include the Gozzi Altarpiece by Titian (Tiziano Vecellio), a Renaissance masterpiece from 1520, and Titian’s Crucifixion. The collection also features Olivuccio di Ciccarello’s Circumcision, Carlo Crivelli’s Madonna with Child, the Alabarda Altarpiece by Lorenzo Lotto with its strong narrative and emotional impact, Guercino’s Immacolata celebrated for its luminous seascape-inspired setting, and the Madonna with Child and Saints Nicola di Bari, Francesco di Sales, and Ambrogio di Carlo Maratti (1672) created for the high altar of San Nicola in Ancona. The display is enriched by works from the Ancona school, including pieces by Andrea Lilli, and compelling paintings such as The Necromancer attributed to Angelo Caroselli. A pair of Guercino canvases has been arranged in a visual dialogue designed to emphasize their expressive power.
The reopening follows a comprehensive restoration and modernization program funded by the Comune di Ancona, with support from Regione Marche, and sponsorship from Viva Servizi and Viva Energia, under the supervision of the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio per le province di Ancona, Pesaro e Urbino. The broader rehabilitation leveraged PNRR funds and involved Palazzo Bosdari, the museum’s historic seat, alongside a complete rethinking of the presentation strategy for the collections under a new scientific museography approach.
Architect Carla Lucarelli oversaw the total redesign of the exhibition spaces, integrating new lighting systems (LEDs with high color rendering and low energy consumption) and concealed supports to create a clean aesthetic that respects the artworks’ integrity. The revised layout introduces enhanced didactic materials in Italian and English, and tactile elements developed in collaboration with the Museo Tattile Statale Omero to ensure an accessible, inclusive visit for all visitors.
The reopening is part of Ancona’s ongoing cultural strategy, which envisions the city as a dynamic cultural campus connecting the Pinacoteca with nearby institutions and historic sites. The project aligns with Ancona’s bid for Italian Capital of Culture 2028 and complements ongoing initiatives such as the Premio Marche, which returned with the show “Erratica” and contributed to the Pinacoteca’s contemporary art collection. The Pinacoteca Civica “Francesco Podesti” is located at Via Ciriaco Pizzecolli 17, Ancona. The museum now offers a redesigned, accessible layout that enhances the viewing experience of the collection’s highlights, while future exhibitions and collaborations are anticipated to expand Ancona’s cultural landscape.
With 133 works on permanent display and more than 600 additional works conserved in newly equipped deposits on the third floor, the Pinacoteca reaffirms its role as a cornerstone of Ancona’s cultural life. From 2026 onward, the museum is expected to host large-format exhibitions, further enriching the city’s cultural offerings and inviting visitors from across Italy and beyond to rediscover this remarkable collection.
Photo credits: Pinacoteca Civica “Francesco Podesti” of Ancona and Emanuela Pisano.
On the cover: Carlo Crivelli “Madonna col Bambino”.
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