For years it remained one of the buildings marked by the earthquake that in 2009 hit L'Aquila. Now Farinosi Branconi Palace comes back to life and opens a new page in its history as Bper cultural center of La Galleria in the heart of the historic center, precisely in the year in which the city is the Italian Capital of Culture 2026. Recovered after the earthquake, the building is thus returned to the community along with a significant portion of the artistic heritage linked to the Cassa di Risparmio della Provincia dell'Aquila.
From the September 3 the palace opens to the public with the permanent exhibition "A Treasure Chest of Memories. Landscapes, Color, and Tradition: Five Centuries of Southern Italian Art," which brings together the works of the Bper Corporate Collection and the building's historic spaces. This itinerary intertwines art, architecture, and the memory of the region, and also brings back to L'Aquila a portion of the collection of the Cassa di Risparmio della Provincia dell'Aquila.
The inauguration was attended by the president of Bper Fabio Cerchiai, Mayor Pierluigi Biondi, the vice president of the Abruzzo Region Imprudent Emanuele, the president of the Civita Association Gianni Letta, the president of the Carispaq Foundation Fabrizio Marinelli and the rector of the University of L'Aquila Fabio Graziosi.
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“We are proud to return one of the city's most iconic buildings to its community,” said Cerchiai, emphasizing that “an important part of the Cassa di Risparmio della Provincia dell'Aquila's collection is returning to the places where it was formed.”
With Palazzo Farinosi Branconi, L'Aquila joins the Bper Cultural Centers network, which already includes offices in Modena and Ferrara. A new space is also planned to open in Ferrara in October at Palazzo Barbantini-Koch.
For Biondi, it is "a rediscovered palace, a new cultural space in the heart of L'Aquila," with a value "even more significant in the year in which the city is the Italian Capital of Culture."
“With the L'Aquila Cultural Center, a precise idea of enhancement is taking shape,” said Sabrina Bianchi, Head of Cultural Heritage at the Bper Gallery. “The collection, the architecture of Palazzo Farinosi Branconi, and the artistic history of the area create a single narrative here.”
The Bper Gallery curates an artistic and archival heritage of over 10 registered works. The frescoes in the Saul and David, Putti, and San Clemente rooms in the palace have also been restored.
