National Museums of Bologna, the 2027–2030 Four-Year Plan: Restorations and Six Major Exhibitions Between the Renaissance, Baroque, and the Grand Tour

Luigi GalloJust five months after taking office, the Director of the National Museums of Bologna and the Regional Directorate of National Museums in Emilia-Romagna, Luigi Gallo, has outlined the strategic guidelines for his 2027–2030 four-year term. It is an ambitious plan that combines heritage preservation, scientific research, and cultural enhancement, placing the National Gallery of Bologna (Pinacoteca Nazionale) at the heart of a profound renewal while simultaneously valuing the region’s territorial sites.

A Vibrant and Integrated Museum System

«This program stems from the desire to work together, bringing together skills, professionalism, and a passion for our heritage» stated Director Luigi Gallo. The goal is to transform the museums into a dynamic system open to dialogue with the city, local institutions, and new generations. Alongside major temporary exhibitions, the plan includes crucial restoration projects and the complete re-display of permanent collections.

The Exhibition Program: Six Major Shows (2027–2030)

The core of the Pinacoteca Nazionale’s programming features a cycle of six international exhibitions designed to celebrate Bologna’s cultural history and its role as an artistic crossroads:

  1. October 2026: Saint Francis and Bologna Between the 15th and 17th Centuries, curated by Luigi Gallo and Elena Rossoni. An inaugural exhibition—marking the eighth centenary of the Saint’s death—exploring iconographical transformations between the Renaissance and the Baroque, enriched by exceptional loans from major institutions such as the Galleria Borghese, the Capitoline Museums, and the National Galleries.

  2. Spring 2027: ‘Sing of This Time’: The 19th Century in the Collections of the National Gallery of Bologna, an itinerary focusing on the relationship between figurative and performing arts, coinciding with the reopening of the Teatro Comunale.

  3. Late 2027 – Early 2028: Photographing Heritage: Treasures from the Photographic Cabinet, a focus on photography as a fundamental tool for historical-artistic preservation and knowledge, in collaboration with the Zeri Foundation.

  4. Spring 2028: Charles V and Bologna, Capital of the Empire: 1528–1530, highlighting Bologna’s rise as a European capital of the arts and the spread of the Renaissance and Italian Mannerism beyond the Alps.

  5. Autumn 2028: Bologna in the 18th Century: A Capital and Its Art, a visual and cultural journey tracing the role of the city and its University at the center of Grand Tour routes.

  6. Late 2029 – Early 2030: The Carracci and the Birth of Modern Painting: Bologna as a Laboratory of Painting Between the 16th and 17th Centuries, a major international collaborative exhibition involving prestigious global museums (including the Louvre, the Prado, and the Uffizi) to celebrate the artistic revolution of the Carracci family.

This dense program outlines a forward-looking vision capable of bringing works out of storage and turning the region’s cultural heritage into a living, accessible common good for everyone.