Here Italy Is Made: The Image of the Hero from Bistolfi to Baroni – Exhibition in Casale Monferrato

Here Italy Is Made: The Image of the Hero from Bistolfi to Baroni

Dates: 28 March – 28 June 2026

Venue: Salone Vitoli, Museo Civico e Gipsoteca Bistolfi, Casale Monferrato.

Overview

This exhibition traces the development of the hero's image as a symbolic and commemorative figure from the early years of unified Italy through the immediate post‑First World War period. Starting from the “Martelli‑Bistolfi 2021/2023” legacy, the display brings together sculptures, reliefs, drawings and paintings that show the shift from naturalistic depictions to a more classical, rhetorical language and the changes introduced by modernity and wartime experience.

Works and artists

• Leonardo Bistolfi: restored plaster sculptures, low reliefs and drawings, including pieces shown to the public for the first time.
• Eugenio Baroni: examples of the classical and commemorative production emerging in the early 20th century.
• Comparative works by contemporaries such as Gaetano Previati, Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, Plinio Nomellini, Libero Andreotti and Eliseo Sala.

Curatorship and research

The exhibition was shaped by a scientific committee composed of Sandra Berresford, Leo Lecci and Aurora Scotti, and is the result of cooperation between the city, cultural organizations and foundations.

Catalogue

A full‑color 175‑page catalogue published by Fondazione De Ferrari ETS includes curatorial essays, introductory texts and extensive illustrations. Available at the museum ticket office at a special price of €25.

Guided tours

• Guided tours on Sunday 5 April, Saturday 11 April, Sunday 19 April and Saturday 25 April, all starting at 16:00.
• Admission requires the museum ticket plus a €4 supplement for the guided tour.

Practical information

• Opening hours:
  • Thursday: 8:30–12:30 / 14:30–16:30
  • Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: 10:30–13:00 / 15:00–18:30
• Tickets: full €8, reduced €5 (students up to 24, over 65, affiliated associations, groups >10), free for compulsory school students, people with disabilities and companion, journalists and Abbonamento Musei holders.
• Contacts: Museum Tel. +39 0142 444309 / Secretariat +39 0142 444249, email: [email protected]
• Access: entry according to Museo Civico e Gipsoteca Bistolfi opening hours.

Why attend

The exhibition provides historical and artistic insight into how public images of national heroes were formed and transformed. It juxtaposes established masterpieces with newly restored works, offering a focused view on Bistolfi’s influence and the artistic currents between the 19th and 20th centuries.