Mario Deluigi's 'Litanie della Vergine' to be Exhibited at Castel Gandolfo
An abstract piece of art that was initially turned down for a church will be showcased at the Palazzo Papale in Castel Gandolfo starting September 10, 2026. The exhibition, titled 'Le "Litanie della Vergine" di Mario Deluigi. Dialogo tra sacro e astrazione', is organized by curators Rosalia Pagliarani and Assia Carpano. Created by Venetian artist Mario Deluigi (1901-1978) between 1949 and 1950, 'Litanie della Vergine (Omaggio a Mondrian)' was meant as an altarpiece for Santa Maria Ausiliatrice but was rejected for its iconography. Deluigi presented it at the 1950 Venice Biennale. In 1972, don Germano Pattaro recommended it be gifted to Pope Paul VI, where it became part of his collection. The exhibition will feature restored pieces and materials related to Deluigi's work.
Key facts
- Exhibition runs from September 10, 2026 at Palazzo Papale, Castel Gandolfo
- Curated by Rosalia Pagliarani and Assia Carpano
- Mario Deluigi (1901-1978) was a Venetian artist associated with abstraction and spatial art
- Deluigi signed the Spatialist Manifesto in 1951
- The 'Litanie della Vergine' was created between 1949 and 1950 as an altarpiece for the church of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice in Mogliano Veneto
- The work was rejected by the Salesian community for its abstract style
- In 1950, it was exhibited at the XXV Venice Biennale in the Italian Pavilion
- In 1972, Cardinal Albino Luciani offered the painting to Pope Paul VI in St. Mark's Square
- The work entered the Vatican Museums' collections in 1978 after Paul VI's bequest
- The exhibition follows a restoration by the Vatican Museums' Restoration Laboratory
- The restoration was supported by Mark Roberts and Jan Vallone Roberts, Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums
- The exhibition is a new edition of a 2025 show at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice
- Additional materials include a 1972 portfolio of ten silkscreens and a notebook by Deluigi
- Textile panels 'Rosa Mystica' and 'Stella Matutina' by Rubelli are also displayed
Entities
Artists
- Mario Deluigi
- Piet Mondrian
- Albino Luciani
- Pope Paul VI
- Barbara Jatta
- Rosalia Pagliarani
- Assia Carpano
- Germano Pattaro
Institutions
- Palazzo Papale di Castel Gandolfo
- Vatican Museums
- Scuola Grande di San Rocco
- Rubelli
- Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums
- Collegio Astori
- Salesian community
- XXV Venice Biennale
- Padiglione Italia
Locations
- Castel Gandolfo
- Italy
- Treviso
- Dolo
- Mogliano Veneto
- Venice
- Vatican City
- St. Mark's Square