Open Days – Il Pordenone

Hidden away in the villages around Pordenone is a genius: Giovanni Antonio de’ Sacchis, known as ‘Il Pordenone’, one of the most restless and original figures of the Italian Renaissance. His works, scattered throughout the naves of the churches in Vallenoncello, Rorai Grande and Villanova, are still little known, but now those doors are all opening at once.

One Sunday a month, for six months, the “Open Days Il Pordenone” initiative invites visitors to explore the city’s three historic districts: the churches of Sant’Ulderico, Santi Ruperto e Leonardo and San Lorenzo Martire will open simultaneously, with a qualified tour guide at each site ready to accompany visitors on free tours, which they can tailor to suit their own interests and the time they have available.

OPEN DAYS IN PORDENONE – CHOOSE YOUR ITINERARY

“Open Days Il Pordenone” is based on an original concept: there is no set itinerary, but visitors are free to choose which church to start with, how many to visit over the course of the afternoon and in what order, moving between the venues as they please. Those who are particularly taken with something can spend a long time in a single church; those who wish can visit all three sites; or, if they prefer, they can even return month after month, creating a bespoke itinerary through the artistic world of Pordenone each time. The churches will be open from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm. During this time, qualified tour guides will lead tours lasting approximately 40 minutes, departing from the entrance at 2.30 pm, 3.30 pm and 4.30 pm.

PORDENONE – THE GENIUS OF THE VILLAGES

Pordenone is a son of this land, and his most striking works are to be found right here, within the walls of three of the city’s churches, which house different chapters of his artistic evolution: from the luminous and orderly Venetian style right through to the bold innovations of his mature years. Visiting these churches is like leafing through the secret diary of an artist who transforms himself, experiments, breaks the mould – and does so within intimate, authentic spaces that are still very much alive in their religious and community functions.

The Church of Sant’Ulderico, in the Villanova district: the frescoes in the apse are one of the finest examples of Pordenone’s ‘Venetian’ period: luminous, orderly, and still faithful to the great tradition of the lagoon. Enriching the visit is the imposing stone altar by Giovanni Antonio Pilacorte, a contemporary sculptor of the Master, which lends the place an air of sober, solemn grandeur.

Church of Saints Ruperto and Leonardo, in the Vallenoncello district: the altarpiece of the high altar is the beating heart of this stop; here, the artist begins to break away from classical conventions, the sculptural quality becomes more pronounced, and the expressiveness intensifies. Flanking this masterpiece is a fresco attributed to Giovanni Maria Zaffoni, known as ‘il Calderari’, one of the most faithful interpreters of Pordenone’s legacy.

The Church of San Lorenzo Martire, in the Rorai Grande district: a hidden treasure within a 20th-century shell. The vault of the choir in the ancient 15th-century church still bears the frescoes depicting the Stories of the Virgin: here, we see a Pordenone who is stylistically more mature, capable of infusing even the most traditional structures with dramatic power.

The initiative takes place from April to September on the last Sunday of every month, transforming the villages into an open-air museum spread across the countryside. The scheduled dates are:

· Sunday 26 April

· Sunday 31 May

· Sunday 28 June

· Sunday 26 July

· Sunday 23 August

· Sunday 27 September