The presentation of the Sala Romagnoli took place today at the Civic Art Museum in Pordenone, attended by the Councillor for Culture, Alberto Parigi; Dr Alessandro Pratesi, the professional who oversaw and managed the Romagnoli family’s bequest; and Giovanni Di Prima, Director-General of ASP Umberto I, the care home designated by the family as the sole heir.
Palazzo Ricchieri houses a tangible testament to generosity and a love of art: the room on the first floor of the Museo Civico d'Arte, which houses some of the most significant paintings amongst the works donated by Professor Andrea Romagnoli, has been named after the distinguished professor himself, who, in his will, chose to bequeath part of his art collection to the institution. This symbolic gesture is the local council’s way of recognising and honouring the memory of a man who chose to share with the entire community the fruits of a life dedicated to culture.
Councillor Alberto Parigi: "The city would like to express its gratitude to Professor Romagnoli, his family and all those who have made this valuable legacy possible: Dr Pratesi, Dr Di Prima and Dr Danin of our Civic Museums. We wanted this occasion to be a genuine and lasting tribute: for this reason, we are dedicating this room to Professor Romagnoli; it bears his name, will house his works and has been enhanced by new lighting designed to showcase the works themselves. This gesture forms part of a wider project to modernise the entire museum network, an undertaking that I have no hesitation in describing as momentous. Thanks to the administration’s drive, the relevant departments have secured substantial funding for a far-reaching renovation that will cover accessibility, visitor routes, exhibition design, digitisation and technical systems. But the buildings, however renovated, only find their purpose through their contents. This is precisely why we are working on a rich cultural programme for this year and for 2027: in this way, with facilities that are up to the task and a clear vision, we are preparing to experience this long-awaited event in the best possible way.”
A maths and physics teacher at Leopardi High School, Romagnoli passed away in 2021, leaving behind a legacy that extends far beyond the classroom. The collection, assembled together with his siblings Pierluigi and Maria Valeria, was built up over more than thirty years, between 1960 and 1993, and is the result of a genuine passion and research conducted with rigour and dedication. Andrea Romagnoli, in particular, also distinguished himself through his collection of books, studies and documents on nineteenth-century Italian painting, a field in which the Romagnoli family demonstrated rare expertise and sensitivity.
The bequest comprises over 70 works and includes pieces by artists of the highest calibre: from paintings by Guglielmo Ciardi, Italico Brass, Giuseppe Tominz, Federico Zandomeneghi, Luigi Nono and Vittore Carniel, to lithographs and etchings by Renato Guttuso, accompanied by their respective catalogues. It is a diverse collection of exceptional quality, which significantly enriches the city’s public artistic heritage.
The naming of the gallery forms part of a wider initiative that the Council is pursuing with conviction: to promote private bequests by returning to the community what individual citizens have chosen to share. As part of this, the gallery’s lighting system has also recently been upgraded to ensure the works receive the visibility and dignity of display they deserve. Not all the works are on display at the same time: a scheduled rotation is in place, which will allow the public to view the entire collection over time. For the time being, the prints remain in storage, as they are particularly sensitive to light and therefore require more careful conservation management.
Alongside the paintings, the museum also houses part of Romagnoli’s personal library, which is mainly devoted to 19th-century painting: around 500 volumes, some of which are rare or out of print, and which can be consulted on request.
Through the Sala Romagnoli, Pordenone is honouring a legacy by bringing it to life and making it accessible, thereby giving Professor Romagnoli the recognition his generosity deserves.