Guercino's Unseen Masterpieces on Show in Cento

The exhibition 'Guercino, un nuovo sguardo' at the Church of San Lorenzo in Cento presents previously unseen altarpieces by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (1591–1666), known as Guercino, mostly inaccessible since the 2012 earthquake. Running until December 31, 2025, it features works from Forlì's Palazzo del Merenda (closed for renovation), including the 'Annunciation' (1648) and 'Saint John the Baptist' (1653–1655), and from Cento's Chiesa del Rosario, including 'Crucifixion', 'God the Father Blessing', 'Saint Francis', 'Saint John the Baptist' (1644–1645), and 'Assunta' (1622). Curators Daniele Benati and Lorenzo Lorenzini highlight the dialogue with Cento's Pinacoteca and other works in San Lorenzo, confirming the school's authority rooted in Cento despite Guercino's move to Bologna in 1642. The show also includes works by his pupils (Benedetto Gennari, Cristoforo Serra, Giuseppe Maria Galeppini), contemporaries (Matteo Lovers, Matteo Mingarini, Benedetto Zalone), and predecessors (Giovan Battista Gennari), offering insights into rare painters still to be studied.