IT
7 October 2026 – 10 January 2027
In the Footsteps of Francis. Art, Restoration and Contemporary Perspectives
Museo del Corso-Polo Museale, Palazzo Sciarra Colonna
To mark the eight hundredth anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, Fondazione Roma presents the exhibition “Following in the Footsteps of Francis. Art, Restoration and Contemporaneity”, at the Museo del Corso – Palazzo Sciarra Colonna from 7 October 2026 to 10 January 2027. Curated by Alessandro Zuccari (Member of the Accademia dei Lincei and Professor Emeritus at Sapienza University of Rome), the exhibition offers a journey through images from the late thirteenth century to the present day, evoking the figure of the saint and the enduring relevance of his message of peace, universal brotherhood, harmony with nature and care for creation. The exhibition thus rediscovers the traces left by Francis on civic conscience and religious sensibility, highlighting the extraordinary capacity of his message to speak to the present. Its principal aims include promoting new research, bringing previously unstudied subjects to light and restoring works with the support of the Foundation.
The exhibition brings together masterpieces by great masters of the past and contemporary works: from illuminated manuscripts of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries – including the rare Speculum humanae salvationis from the Biblioteca Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana – to sixteenth- and seventeenth-century canvases devoted to mysticism and the stigmata, with works by Titian, El Greco, Federico Barocci, Ludovico Carracci, Caravaggio and Murillo. Among these, Caravaggio’s Saint Francis in Prayer stands out as an example of a deeply human and contemplative portrayal of the saint. The itinerary continues into the eighteenth century with works by Carlo Labruzzi, Biagio Miniera and Giovan Battista Piazzetta: of particular note is the Ecstasy of Saint Francis, in which Piazzetta depicts the moment following the stigmata, transforming Baroque theatricality into a more intimate and recollected spirituality. The exhibition then moves through the twentieth century with Duilio Cambellotti and Gino De Dominicis: in Cambellotti’s works, swallows, larks and other natural motifs become symbols of the harmonious relationship between Francis and creation. It concludes with the languages of contemporary art, represented by Stefano Di Stasio, Omar Galliani, Fatinha Ramos and Jaume Plensa. Stefano Di Stasio reinterprets the encounter between the saint and the wolf, setting it in a modern city, while Fatinha Ramos’s Murano glass sculpture Scar offers a different reflection on our relationship with creation through two trees joined at the roots, evoking a living nature with which to attain spiritual harmony.
Finally, the exhibition highlights the role of restoration promoted by Fondazione Roma as a tangible act of care for and preservation of cultural heritage. The project also launches new research into the bond between Francis and Rome, presented through the reconstruction of the mosaic dossal known as the Colonna Mosaic (13th century) and a map of the earliest Franciscan sites and testimonies in the city.
Guided tours of the exhibition
Guided tours of the exhibition take place every weekend, on Saturdays at 4:30 pm and Sundays at 11:30 am.
Two types of tour are available, each combining the exhibition with a different itinerary through Palazzo Sciarra Colonna.
The Devotion of Francis, the Piety of the Monte, the Glory of Art
Exhibition and Permanent Collection. Second, fourth and fifth weekends of the month, Saturdays at 4:30 pm and Sundays at 11:30 am.
The tour weaves together episodes from the life of the saint of Assisi with those of members of the Colonna family, such as Cardinal Giovanni, a supporter of the Franciscan Rule. Starting from the reconstruction of the thirteenth-century mosaic originally in Santa Maria in Aracoeli and moved in the seventeenth century to Palazzo Colonna ai Santi Apostoli, the tour begins with the exhibition works devoted to the life and message of Francis, including masterpieces by Titian, El Greco, Barocci and Caravaggio.
In the second part, the Franciscan thread continues in the Permanent Collection, which features works from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century, beginning with the room housing the earliest historical core of the collections, originating from the Monte di Pietà of Rome. The emblem of the Monti, the Imago Pietatis, gives the room its theme and introduces, through its paintings, a meditative itinerary on the Passion of Christ, the heart of Franciscan devotion.
The tour of the Permanent Collection continues with works by artists including Ciampelli, Gherardo delle Notti, Régnier, Batoni, Maratti and Van Wittel, alongside masterpieces by celebrated masters such as Domenichino, Orazio Gentileschi and Jusepe de Ribera, recent additions to the collection.
Dates: October 2026: 10, 11, 24, 25, 31. November 2026: 1, 14, 15, 28, 29. December 2026: 12, 13, 26, 27. January 2027: 9, 10.
Family Secrets
Exhibition and Cardinal’s Apartment. First and third weekends of the month, Saturdays at 4:30 pm and Sundays at 11:30 am.
An itinerary that intertwines two stories: that of Francis and that of the Colonna di Sciarra, the family who lived in this palazzo from the sixteenth to the late nineteenth century. In the exhibition, the narrative begins with the saint’s own words and spans the centuries: from the earliest testimonies of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, such as illuminated codices and gold-ground panels, to Renaissance and Baroque paintings (including masterpieces by Titian, Barocci, Caravaggio and Piazzetta), up to Omar Galliani’s intense pastel, in which Francis’s love for creation finds a contemporary reflection.
In the Permanent Collection, the tour becomes the portrait of a dynasty, reconstructed through the traces it left in the palazzo: coats of arms and heraldic relics, marriage alliances, family portraits, a cardinal’s taste as a collector and, finally, the financial crisis that led to the dispersal of one of the most important art collections in Rome. The tour concludes in the Apartment of Cardinal Prospero Colonna di Sciarra, with its elegant Rococo furnishings designed by Vanvitelli, its erudite allegories, chinoiseries and mirrors painted with floral triumphs.
Dates: October 2026: 17, 18. November 2026: 7, 8, 21, 22. December 2026: 5, 6, 19, 20. January 2027: 2, 3.
Information
Admission to the palazzo is free. Guided tour: €7 per person.
Duration: approximately 60 minutes. Maximum 25 participants per tour.
Booking is required at museodelcorso.madeticket.it, by phone on +39 06 87153157 (Monday to Saturday, 9:30 am – 5:30 pm) or by email at info@museodelcorso.com.
For schools
From Ancient to Contemporary Art: Saint Francis and the Wonders of Creation
How has the portrayal of Saint Francis, and of his complete empathy with creation, evolved in art over the centuries? Through visual exploration and direct comparison of the works on display – from thirteenth-century illuminated codices to Fatinha Ramos’s glass sculpture, by way of masterpieces by Titian and Caravaggio – we will discover how each era has its own vision of the saint and how each artist succeeds in conveying it. In the workshop, children will reinterpret elements of the Canticle of the Creatures in a contemporary key: Omar Galliani’s monochrome technique and the geometric clarity of Duilio Cambellotti’s stained-glass windows will inspire depictions of wind or water, stars or fire, using coloured pencils and wax crayons in a layering and blending of drawing techniques.
Available by appointment
Cost: € 135.
To book: 06 87153157, info@museodelcorso.com.