Pietro Fortuna Opens Operanova, a New Art and Culture Hub Near Orvieto
Pietro Fortuna, an artist born in 1950 in Padua, has launched Operanova, a cultural hub located in Villanova, Italy, within a 1,500-square-meter area that was previously a knitwear factory. This center encompasses Fortuna's studio, a library boasting over 5,000 books, a classroom, a workshop, and a residency space, alongside a diverse cultural agenda. With a background in architecture and philosophy, Fortuna has worked with leading opera houses and showcased his work at prestigious locations such as the São Paulo Biennial and Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna. He established Opera Paese in Rome in 1996. The summer offerings at Operanova include "Il posto dell'anima" and "Come diventare poveri," with exhibitions set for September. Fortuna acquired the site in 2023, aspiring to develop it into a foundation.
Key facts
- Pietro Fortuna opened Operanova in Villanova, between Lake Bolsena and Orvieto.
- The space is a former knitwear factory (ex-Maglificio Vigna) of 1,500 sqm.
- It includes an atelier, archive, library of 5,000+ volumes, classroom, workshop, and residency.
- Fortuna previously worked in an ex-wool mill in Rome's Pietralata district.
- He studied architecture and philosophy and collaborated with La Scala, San Carlo, and La Fenice.
- Exhibited at 16th São Paulo Biennial, 12th Paris Biennale, Frankfurter Kunstverein, Macro, BPS22, etc.
- Founded Opera Paese in 1996, hosting Philip Glass, Jan Fabre, Pistoletto, and Carlo Sini.
- Summer 2025 program includes sessions 'Il posto dell'anima' and 'Come diventare poveri'.
- September 2025 exhibitions: Bjørn Melhus, Daniele Puppi, Tony Oursler.
- Fortuna acquired the property in 2023 after moving from Brussels.
Entities
Artists
- Pietro Fortuna
- Philip Glass
- Jan Fabre
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
- Carlo Sini
- Bjørn Melhus
- Daniele Puppi
- Tony Oursler
Institutions
- Operanova
- Opera Paese
- San Carlo (Naples)
- La Scala (Milan)
- La Fenice (Venice)
- 16th São Paulo Biennial
- Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna (Bologna)
- Ville Arson (Nice)
- Kunstler House (Graz)
- Frankfurter Kunstverein
- 12th Paris Biennale
- Palais de Glace (Buenos Aires)
- Galleria d'Arte Moderna (San Marino)
- Museo d'Arte Moderna (Bogotà)
- Galleria Comunale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (Rome)
- Le Carré Musée Bonnat (Bayonne)
- Museo Pecci (Prato)
- Watertoren Centre for Contemporary Art (Vlissingen)
- 12th Biennale Internazionale della Scultura (Carrara)
- Tramway (Glasgow)
- Fondazione Morra (Naples)
- Macro (Rome)
- Fondazione Sandretto
- Quadriennale di Roma
- Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna (Rome)
- Nuova Pesa
- Museo CAMUSAC (Cassino)
- Museo Mambo (Bologna)
- Matera Capitale Europea della Cultura
- Manifesta 13-Les Parallèles du Sud
- BPS22 (Charleroi)
- Artribune
Locations
- Villanova
- Italy
- Lake Bolsena
- Orvieto
- Padua
- Rome
- Pietralata
- Brussels
- Naples
- Milan
- Venice
- São Paulo
- Bologna
- Nice
- Graz
- Frankfurt
- Paris
- Buenos Aires
- San Marino
- Bogotà
- Bayonne
- Prato
- Vlissingen
- Carrara
- Glasgow
- Cassino
- Matera
- Charleroi