Perugino's Tezi Altarpiece from the National Gallery of Umbria on display in Lecco.

From Dec. 5, 2024, to March 2, 2025, the second floor of Palazzo delle Paure in Lecco will host the sixth edition of Capolavoro per Lecco, an exhibition event promoted by the Cultural Association and the Madonna del Rosario Pastoral Community, in collaboration with the City of Lecco. The exhibition focuses this year on the theme of hope related to Christmas. The protagonist is the Sacred Conversation, known as the Tezi Altarpiece, from the National Gallery of Umbria: a masterpiece by Pietro di Cristoforo Vannucci, known as Perugino, it was made in 1500 and is a symbol of the Umbrian master’s artistic maturity. It depicts the Madonna and Child supported by a flight of angels and surrounded by Saints Nicholas of Tolentino and Bernardine of Siena, Jerome and Sebastian, set in a serene landscape of hills and lakeshore. Its luminosity, harmonious composition and extraordinary painting technique invite visitors to reflect on the universal meaning of Christmas and the beauty that guides toward a deeper understanding of the mystery of God made man.

Starting Dec. 20, the Adoring Madonna by sculptor Giovanni Antonio di Giordano, dated 1499, will be added to the Tezi Altarpiece. This wooden sculpture, which survived the earthquake that struck Norcia in 2016, depicts the Madonna in adoration of the Child; the sculpture of the Infant Jesus, originally lying on the Mother’s legs, was stolen in the last century. Refined in detail, the work comes from the Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Castelluccio di Norcia and is one of the highest expressions in the Valnerina of Renaissance sculpture.

The 2024 edition of Capolavoro per Lecco is curated by art historian and professor of art history at the University of Camerino Alessandro Delpriori and designed in layout by Studio Melesi. In the first room, illuminated by diffused light that evokes the atmosphere of a church, the Tezi Altarpiece stands out. In the second room, punctual light brings out of the darkness the adoring Madonna, around which the visitor can turn. The third room is dedicated to a theatrical interpretation of Marian and Christmas texts by actress Sonia Bergamasco, who enriches the experience with an emotionally engaging narrative.

Visitors will be guided through a gradual experience, alternating moments of storytelling by children, multimedia insights and moments of personal contemplation. Special attention is paid to children and schools, with creative workshops inviting the youngest children to make colored wooden tiles to be united in a collective work, emphasizing the value of community collaboration.

As in previous editions, students from local high schools will actively participate in the project as cultural mediators and digital promoters. This experience, integrated into the PCTO (formerly Alternanza Scuola-Lavoro) paths, will involve them in the enhancement of the works and digital communication.

Perugino's Tezi Altarpiece from the National Gallery of Umbria on display in Lecco.

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