ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Insurance history exhibition at APE Parma Museum features rare documents and posters

exhibition · 2026-05-04

The APE Parma Museum is showcasing 'Ond’evitar tegole in testa! Sette secoli di assicurazione,' which examines the evolution of insurance from 14th-century Italy to the aftermath of 9/11, available until January 15, 2020. This exhibition, developed by the University of Parma's Department of Economics and Business in collaboration with Fondazione Mansutti, includes an extensive array of items, such as a 1935 poster by Federico Seneca. Noteworthy pieces comprise late 19th-century posters, early 20th-century creations by Umberto Boccioni and others, along with archival gems like the earliest known insurance policy from 1343. Curated by Marina Bonomelli and Claudia Di Battista, the display highlights the transition in insurance sectors from agriculture to automotive, illustrating socio-economic changes.

Key facts

  • Exhibition 'Ond’evitar tegole in testa! Sette secoli di assicurazione' at APE Parma Museum until January 15, 2020
  • Conceived by University of Parma's Department of Economics and Business, realized with Fondazione Mansutti
  • Features 400 advertising posters including a 1935 Federico Seneca poster of an uninsured man hit by a tile
  • Includes works by Umberto Boccioni, Alfons Mucha, Marcello Dudovich, Erberto Carboni, Gino Boccasile, Ugo Nespolo
  • Oldest known insurance policy from 1343 by a Genoese notary is displayed
  • Manuscript by San Bernardino da Siena from 1470 and Bernoulli's Ars conjectandi are included
  • Slave life insurance contracts, navigation instruments, piggy-bank clocks, and fire plaques are shown
  • Policies of Ernest Hemingway and Marilyn Monroe are exhibited
  • Curated by Marina Bonomelli and Claudia Di Battista at APE Parma Museum, Via Farini 32/A
  • Covers insurance history from 14th-century Italian mercantile cities to post-9/11 era

Entities

Artists

  • Federico Seneca
  • Umberto Boccioni
  • Alfons Mucha
  • Marcello Dudovich
  • Erberto Carboni
  • Gino Boccasile
  • Ugo Nespolo
  • Jakob Bernoulli
  • Marta Santacatterina

Institutions

  • APE Parma Museum
  • University of Parma
  • Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche e Aziendali dell'Università di Parma
  • Fondazione Mansutti
  • Banca d'Italia
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Parma
  • Italy
  • Firenze
  • Genoa
  • Genova
  • APE Parma Museo
  • Via Farini 32/A

Sources