Aleardo Paolucci on display at Palazzo Merulana: a journey between Siena, Pienza and Rome

In Rome, Palazzo Merulana, home of the Elena and Claudio Cerasi Foundation and managed by Coopculture, opens its doors to an exhibition dedicated to Aleardo Paolucci, the painter from the Val d’Orcia. The exhibition, curated by Laura Bonelli, represents the third stage of the project Paesaggi dell’anima - Paolucci. The Painter, an initiative launched in 2023 to pay tribute to the artist who died in 2013 and set to continue until 2027. After the first two exhibitions, hosted in Siena at the museum complex of Santa Maria della Scala and in Pienza at the Collegio San Carlo Borromeo, the exhibition now arrives in Rome, in the Jubilee year, confirming the deep connection between Paolucci’s work and the history of the eternal city.

At the center of the exhibition are the 54 works that the artist created in 2005 on the occasion of the sixth centenary of the birth of Pope Pius II Piccolomini, exhibited for less than a month at Palazzo Piccolomini and now finally re-presented to the public. The cycle of paintings traces the life of Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini, the future pontiff, drawing inspiration from the Commentarii, his autobiographical memoirs, and transposing them into a pictorial language rich in details and suggestions.

The entire exhibition project, which unites the three cities symbolic of Pius II’s life and rise - Siena, Pienza and Rome - unfolds as an ideal journey that starts from his cultural roots, traverses the stages of his formation and culminates in his greatest achievement as Pope. In this visual narrative, Paolucci does not merely illustrate historical episodes, but reworks the pontiff’s life through a personal and experimental artistic interpretation. In his works, the Tuscan painter used a variety of techniques - oils, tempera, acrylics, as well as gold flakes and sand - resulting in a vibrant and innovative expressive language. His compositions are characterized by a strong geometric balance: circles and squares are interwoven with decorated fabrics and refined chiaroscuro effects, creating an aesthetic that combines tradition and modernity.

The initiative is promoted by ENKI Produzioni with the contribution of Pennington, Bass & Associates (USA) and enjoys the patronage of the State Archives of Siena, the Municipality of Siena - Department of Culture, MIC, the Region of Tuscany and the Municipality of Pienza.

Numerous institutions and associations are involved in the project, including the Accademia dei Rozzi, Santa Maria della Scala, the Museo Città di Pienza, the Contrada della Lupa, the Contrada della Tartuca, the Contrada della Pantera, theAssociazione Proloco Pienza, the Centro Studi Mario Luzi La Barca, the Fabbriceria della Chiesa Cattedrale di Pienza, the Fondazione Conservatorio San Carlo Borromeo, the Associazione Letteraria Stefano Tuscano and the Comitato Promotore La Città della Cultura - Pienza.

For all information, you can visit the official website of Palazzo Merulana.

Aleardo Paolucci on display at Palazzo Merulana: a journey between Siena, Pienza and Rome

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