New Centro delle Arti Lucca Foundation to Transform Former Tobacco Factory into International Arts Hub

A new cultural foundation, Fondazione Centro delle Arti Lucca, has been established to create a major international exhibition space in Lucca, Italy. The venue will be located in the former Manifattura Tabacchi complex, specifically in the spaces that once housed the Cinema Nazionale and the dopolavoro (recreation center). The initiative is a collaboration between Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca and Fondazione Ragghianti, a research center dedicated to Licia and Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti that has been a pillar of Lucca's cultural scene since the 1980s. The new foundation is chaired by Alberto Fontana, former president of Fondazione Ragghianti, and directed by Paolo Bolpagni. The board of directors includes Annalisa Zanni, former director of Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan, and Dario Cimorelli, publisher and cultural manager. The scientific committee mirrors that of Fondazione Ragghianti, comprising Paolo Bolpagni, Fabio Benzi, Martina Corgnati, Sandra Lischi, and Davide Turrini. The building, purchased by Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca in 2023, will be renovated by architecture firm Too from Reggio Emilia. The project includes urban regeneration of a disused property that was part of the tobacco factory operating from 1847 to 2003, now owned by the Comune di Lucca. The center will feature temporary exhibitions and a permanent display of works from Fondazione CRL's collection. Fondazione Ragghianti will contribute its expertise. No opening date has been announced.