Polytropon Arts Centre Opens Near Florence with Alfredo Pirri Exhibition

The Polytropon Arts Centre, a new non-profit contemporary arts hub, is set to open in Pelago, 13 km from Florence, on March 1, 2026. Housed in a former industrial complex at Via del Molino 21, the centre was founded by Maria Papadaki Badanjak and president Claudio Cantella, with artistic direction by Andrea Cavallari. The inaugural exhibition, "Quello che avanza" by Alfredo Pirri, is a site-specific architectural and poetic intervention. The building, a historic mill and fulling mill active until the 1960s, has been repurposed to include a gallery and project room for exhibitions, workshops, concerts, and residencies. The centre's name, Polytropon, from Homeric Greek meaning "many ways, many modes," reflects its mission to host visual arts, contemporary music, theatre, conferences, and food and wine culture. A spring program includes concerts dedicated to Luigi Nono, workshops for young artists and musicians, and a Fluxus Night.