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From 14 March to 14 June 2026, Perugia hosts the exhibition Giotto e San Francesco at the National Gallery of Umbria. Una rivoluzione nell'Umbria del Trecento, an exhibition project dedicated to the encounter between the charisma of Saint Francis of Assisi and the innovative language of Giotto, in the context of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of the saint's death.
The exhibition explores the historical period between the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century, when a new way of representing reality emerged, marking the shift from the Greek style of Byzantine origin to a more natural depiction, capable of conveying human emotions, gestures and relationships with a coherence that had never been seen before. This transition finds its focal point in the construction site of the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, where Giotto, from 1288 onwards, developed a figurative code that was to profoundly influence Italian art.
Alongside Giotto's works, the exhibition documents the central role of Assisi as a place of experimentation and dissemination of new models, through the contributions of masters such as Simone Martini, Pietro Lorenzetti and other key figures active in the main Franciscan construction sites. Particular attention is paid to the reception of these innovations in Umbria, where local artists rework the new languages with original and independent solutions.
Through more than sixty works, the exhibition portrays a period of profound cultural and artistic renewal, highlighting the link between Franciscan spirituality and the birth of modern art, and offering a comprehensive interpretation of one of the most significant moments in the history of European figurative art.
For more details, please visit the official website.
