Illegio's 20-Year Art Exhibition Series Draws 600,000 Visitors to Depopulated Alpine Village

For two decades, the remote mountain village of Illegio in Friuli's Carnia region has hosted annual international art exhibitions organized by the Comitato di San Floriano, attracting 600,000 visitors since 2004. The project, conceived by Don Alessio Geretti, transforms a former priest's residence into a Casa delle Esposizioni and relies on volunteers, young guides, and scholars across Europe. The 2024 exhibition 'Il Coraggio' runs from June 18 to November 3, featuring 40 works from antiquity to the mid-20th century, including loans from the Louvre, National Gallery London, Prado, Uffizi, and private collections. Highlights include Perugino's San Sebastiano from Galleria Borghese, a Caravaggio-attributed work from a private collection, and pieces by Bernini, Guercino, Bronzino, Morazzone, Kandinsky, and Arnaldo Pomodoro. The initiative has restored 120 artworks and received a letter of encouragement from Pope Francis. President Sergio Mattarella may visit on September 14 for the 80th anniversary of the Zona libera della Carnia, following predecessor Giorgio Napolitano's 2012 visit.