Reopening of Villa Vallero and the «Vive Francesco» exhibition in Rivarolo Canavese
Date of the event:
On 7 November 2026 Villa Vallero, in Rivarolo Canavese, in the Canavese area, reopens to the public with the opening of the exhibition «Vive Francesco. Ancient and contemporary art for the 800th anniversary of St Francis». The exhibition marks the eighth centenary of the death of St Francis of Assisi through a dialogue between seventeenth-century paintings and contemporary art [1][2].
The villa's restoration
Villa Vallero takes its name from its first owner, Pier Amedeo Vallero, a notary, banker and benefactor of the town. During the twentieth century the building housed a boarding house for young female workers, a nursery school and a crèche; it became the property of the Municipality of Rivarolo Canavese in 1982 and continued as a nursery school until 2007, when it closed, a decision contested by residents. It was later used as an exhibition centre, until it closed for restoration work [2].
The regeneration work, started by the previous municipal administration, was largely financed with €1.4 million in PNRR funds; the restoration of the façades was supported, together with other works, by the Piedmont Region under the regional FSC 2021-2027 integrated programme. At the reopening, the ground floor and first floor of the building are usable. The plaque at the entrance was restored by the Rivarolo-born painter and restorer Margherita Riccardi [2].
The exhibition
At the centre of the exhibition are three seventeenth-century paintings from the Koelliker collection, on loan from the BKV Fine Art gallery in Milan, including Giacinto Brandi's «St Francis in Prayer» and an anonymous seventeenth-century «St Francis Supported by Angels», attributed to the French Caravaggesque school. The old works are set in dialogue with pieces by contemporary Italian and international artists: the painters include Sebastiano Pallavisini, Emanuele Pagnanini, Giacomo Modolo, Jacopo Dimastrogiovanni, Tomas Kurecka, Ondrej Roubik, Michele D'Amico and Mattia Noal; there is also an interactive installation by auroraMeccanica and sculptures by Daniele Accossato and Matteo Lucca. The display is curated by Elisabetta Chiono of the Crag Gallery [2].
The exhibition, with free admission, runs until 31 January 2027, on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 12pm and 3pm to 6pm, with guided visits for groups available on weekdays by appointment [1].
The opening
Besides the municipal administration led by mayor Martino Zucco-Chinà, those attending the opening included MEP Giovanni Crosetto, the president of the Piedmont Regional Council Davide Nicco, regional councillor Sergio Bartoli, chair of the Piedmont Region's 5th Environment Committee, and Cristina Filippone, councillor for the Municipality of Castellamonte [1][2].
Related articles: Villa Vallero
Sources
- Il Torinese — 7 November 2026
- Obiettivo News — 8 November 2026