Ferrara's Deconsecrated Church Becomes Cultural Hub by Liberatore Family

The Liberatore family has transformed the deconsecrated Church of San Michele in Ferrara's historic center into a new cultural hub. Acquired in 2021, the 10th-century building, deconsecrated in the 1930s, now houses the brand of fashion designer Francesca Liberatore, who opened Milan Fashion Week last September, and serves as a multidisciplinary space guided by her father, sculptor Bruno Liberatore. The venue aims to merge sculptural art with fashion research, offering a collective experience for an international audience. Launch events included an exclusive runway show in the garden of Palazzo dei Diamanti, co-organized with the Comune and Fondazione Ferrara Arte, featuring an unreleased SS24 collection by Francesca Liberatore, who has taught at Accademia Belle Arti di Brera, Naba, and Marist University of New York. A sculpture exhibition by Bruno Liberatore was held inside the former church, with commentary by professor Anna Milia and contributions from city figures like culture assessor Marco Gulinelli and Fulvia Bacchi, director general of UNIC – Concerie Italiane. Father and daughter stated that knowledge, culture, and art provide tools for evolution and refine human sensitivity toward others and the external world.