Modena, the Minister of Culture Sangiuliano lays a wreath in memory of Angelo Fortunato Formiggini

2023-11-11 18:56:17

Today in Modena the Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano laid a wreath in memory of Angelo Fortunato Formiggini, a Jewish publisher and intellectual who committed suicide by throwing himself from the Ghirlandina tower on 29 November 1938 in extreme protest against the anti-Semitic madness of the racial laws. During his visit to the city, the minister was welcomed by the director of the Estensi Galleries, Martina Bagnoli, and led through the treasures of the Library and Gallery, such as the Bible by Borso d’Este, a masterpiece of Italian illumination, the Carta del Cantino, with one of the first depictions of the American continent, and the two iconic portraits of Duke Francesco I d’Este by Bernini and Velázquez. The minister also admired the exhibition, open until January 14th, on the Dutch Caravaggio painter Hendrick ter Brugghen, to whom a work already preserved in the art gallery’s storage was recently attributed.

Minister Sangiuliano, the first owner of the ministry in via del Collegio Romano to go to the Estense Gallery in Modena since it became an independent museum 8 years ago, viewed the almost 3 thousand square meters of additional spaces in the area of ​​the former Estense Hospital which, thanks to state funds and Pnrr, they will be available to the cultural institution by 2026. In the new rooms there will be a medal collection, collections of decorative arts, nineteenth-century paintings, a specialized library and educational laboratories.

“Modena is a city of great cultural traditions and there are all the conditions for the Palazzo dei Musei, upon completion of the works, to become a museum center of primary importance at a national level”, stated Minister Sangiuliano who subsequently visited the construction site of Ago Modena Cultural Factories at the former Sant’Agostino hospital, a 26 thousand square meter complex financed by the Modena Foundation intended to complete the artistic and cultural vocation of the area.

During the visit to the city, Minister Sangiuliano admired the Romanesque Cathedral, a UNESCO heritage site since 1997, led by the vicar general of the diocese, Msgr. Giuliano Gazzetti and Msgr. Luigi Biagini, archpriest emeritus of the cathedral, and visited the town hall, welcomed by the mayor Gian Carlo Muzzarelli, who accompanied him for all phases of the day in Modena. At the end of the day in Modena, Minister Sangiuliano went to Palazzo Ducale, home of the Military Academy. Welcomed by the Commander for Training, Specialization and Doctrine of the Army, Army Corps General Carlo Lamanna and by the Commander of the Military Academy Division General Davide Scalabrin, he was accompanied through the halls of the palace, the ducal apartments and the historical museum of the Academy.

“In this place the history of the Estense Duchy, of the pre-unification Italy that built it, joins that of a united Italy, represented by its Armed Forces that now guard it – began Minister Sangiuliano – Here you can grasp the profound meaning of ‘heritage of the Nation’ referred to in Article 9 of the Constitution. A Nation which is first and foremost a moral and spiritual entity”. During the visit to Modena, Minister Sangiuliano was accompanied by the prefect, Alessandra Camporota, and by the Modenese parliamentarians Michele Barcaiuolo and Daniela Dondi. The head of cabinet, Francesco Gilioli, was also present.