“Qui si fa l’Italia. The image of the hero from Bistolfi to Baroni.

The exhibition "Here Italy is Made. The Image of the Hero from Bistolfi to Baroni" will open on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 11:30 a.m., in the Vitoli Hall of the Bistolfi Civic Museum and Plaster Cast Gallery. The initiative stems from the renewed collaboration between the City of Casale Monferrato, the Rotary Club of Casale Monferrato, and the De Ferrari Foundation, which began last year with the exhibition "Liberated Beauty. Leonardo Bistolfi and his Pointillist Friends," which attracted widespread public participation. The exhibition's title recalls the famous expression attributed to Giuseppe Garibaldi, a symbolic figure of the Risorgimento, and also pays homage to the role played by Casale Monferrato in the events that led to the unification of Italy. The exhibition begins with the important artistic legacy "Martelli-Bistolfi 2021/2023" and explores the development of the representation of the hero, understood also as a symbol or emblematic figure, from the early years of unified Italy until the post-World War I period. During this period, a more rhetorical style, linked to classical references, gradually emerged, of which the sculptor Eugenio Baroni, who trained in Genoa, was among the first and most authoritative interpreters. The works on display also highlight the influence of Bistolfi's work on contemporary artists: the upheavals brought about by modernity and, above all, the effects of the First World War profoundly changed public perceptions, which identified new heroic figures, often linked to the sacrifice of the fallen. From this fracture emerged new stylistic and interpretative paths, including that represented by Baroni's work. Alongside works by Bistolfi and Baroni, the exhibition presents a dialogue between sculptures and paintings by artists such as Gaetano Previati, Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, Plinio Nomellini, Libero Andreotti, and Eliseo Sala. A rich selection of works by Bistolfi from the "Martelli-Bistolfi 2021/2023" donation, some previously unseen and restored for the occasion, will be presented to the public: from drawings to bas-reliefs to plaster sculptures. The materials support the theme identified by the exhibition's Scientific Committee, composed of scholars Sandra Berresford, Leo Lecci, and Aurora Scotti, and are enriched by loans from museums, public institutions, and private collectors. The Mayor of Casale Monferrato, Emanuele Capra, emphasized: "This exhibition represents an important opportunity to showcase the artistic heritage housed in the Bistolfi Civic Museum and Plaster Cast Gallery and to reinterpret, through art, a key period in national history. The dialogue between the works of Bistolfi and Baroni offers insight into the evolution of the hero's image between the Risorgimento and the post-war period, confirming Casale Monferrato's role as a central location for the study and dissemination of Bistolfi's legacy." "Following the overwhelming response to 'Beauty Unleashed,' we want to continue offering the city moments of profound reflection," emphasizes Lillo D’Ambrosio, President of the Casale Monferrato Rotary Club. "This exhibition celebrates Italian unity and ingenuity, paying homage to those who have built our present." The exhibition will be accompanied by a 175-page full-color catalog published by the De Ferrari ETS Foundation, containing in-depth essays by the curators, introductions by the Mayor of Casale Monferrato and the President of the Casale Monferrato Rotary Club, and reproductions of the works on display with extensive illustrations. The volume will be available at the museum ticket office at the special price of €25. In conjunction with the exhibition, in-depth tours led by the staff of the Bistolfi Civic Museum and Plaster Cast Gallery are scheduled for Sunday, April 5th, Saturday, April 11th, Sunday, April 19th, and Saturday, April 25th, all beginning at 4:00 PM. Participation requires the museum admission fee plus a €4 supplement for the guided tour. The exhibition, sponsored by the Piedmont Region, the Province of Alessandria, and ATL Alexala, is being made possible thanks to the contribution of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Alessandria and the support of Bcube, Buzzi Unicem, Energica, Magnoberta, Pastorfrigor, Enosis Meraviglia, and Gruppo Stat. The exhibition will remain open to the public until June 28, 2026, and access will be during the opening hours of the Bistolfi Civic Museum and Plaster Cast Gallery. INFORMATION AND USEFUL INFORMATION "Italy is Made Here. The Figure of the Hero from Bistolfi to Baroni" Bistolfi Civic Museum and Plaster Cast Gallery, Casale Monferrato – Vitoli Hall March 28 to June 28, 2026 Opening Hours: Thursday 8:30 am - 12:30 pm / 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and holidays 10:30 am - 1:00 pm / 3:00 pm - 6:30 pm Tickets: - Full price €8.00 - Reduced price €5.00 (reserved for students up to 24 years old, seniors over 65, affiliated associations, groups of 10 or more) - Free (reserved for children in compulsory school, disabled visitors and their companions, journalists, and Museum Pass holders) Info and contacts: https://comune.casale-monferrato.al.it/quisifalitalia-mostra/ Tel. 0142444309 (museum) 0142444249 (office) Email: museo@comune.casale-monferrato.al.it