The Vision of Saint Prospero: exhibition and conference at the Diocesan

The Vision of Saint Prospero: exhibition and conference at the Diocesan Museum

When: 17 April 2026, 17:00
Where: Diocesan Museum, Reggio Calabria

The Diocesan Museum presents again The Vision of Saint Prospero, a 1910 painting by local artist Cirillo Manicardi, now on display after a restoration supported by Gruppo Credem. The work is exhibited together with a substantial documentary section prepared by the State Archives of Reggio Calabria.

The canvas was originally commissioned by Mons. Emilio Cottafavi after the 1908 earthquake. Over the twentieth century it endured dramatic events, including being saved from a 1920 fire; it was recovered and returned to the Diocese in 2021 thanks to the Carabinieri's Cultural Heritage Protection Unit in Cosenza.

Program

• 17:00 - Opening of the display with the painting and archival materials.
• 17:30 - Conference with presentations on historical context, church involvement and the restoration.

Main speakers

• Fabio Arichetta – historical and social context after the 1908 earthquake
• Father Pasquale Triulcio – the Reggio church and Mons. Cottafavi
• Don Francesco Mazzitelli – Don Luigi Orione’s work in reconstruction
• Angela Puleio – history of the San Prospero Institute
• Renato Laganà and Lucia Lojacono – sacred art and architecture at the turn of the century
• Elisabetta Fdarioli – study of Manicardi’s painting
• Cristina Lusvardi, Daniela Vinci and Francesco Lia – the recent restoration
• Mons. Antonino Denisi – testimony on the 2021 recovery of the work

This initiative is part of the project “Saint Prospero, a bridge between two communities”, promoted in 2025 by the Dioceses of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla and Reggio Calabria-Bova to explore the commission and history of the painting. The conservation work was made possible by the support of Gruppo Credem.

Practical information

• Entry to the exhibition and conference at the Diocesan Museum; times as indicated above.
• Attendance at the conference will grant continuing education credits for registered architects (Order of Architects PPC of Reggio Calabria).
• Students from the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences (ISSR) will receive a participation certificate.

Partners and patronage

• Municipalities of Reggio Calabria and Reggio Emilia
• Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria
• Superintendence for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of Reggio Calabria
• Deputy of National History of Calabria, State Archives and National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria
• Italian Association of Ecclesiastical Museums and other local institutions

For visitor information and access details, contact the Diocesan Museum of Reggio Calabria.