10 must-see exhibitions and events in December in Italy

We start our short tour from Trentino Alto Adige, where you will be welcomed not only by the Christmas atmosphere of the markets, but also and above all by magic and great art.

Here you will find an exhibition that unites present and past, recounting the revolutionary art of Giotto and how it is preparatory to that of the Renaissance.

Inspiration and trespassing are the two key words you must keep in mind while visiting this must-see exhibition!

You know that in Naples for the entire month of December you will be able to admire a unique exhibition of more than 130 works with the help of ConselliArt.

We are talking about traditional sculpture works of the 'Songye', an African population living in a large area of the central region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, all in the millenary space of the Palatine Chapel of the Maschio Angioino. History meets other history, truly incredible.

Did you know that 110 years have already passed since the birth of one of the greatest photojournalists of all time? Robert Capa, to whom Milan's Mudec pays tribute with a personal exhibition to be discovered that covers the main war and travel reportages that the Hungarian photographer made during his 20-year career, who like a very modern Forrest Gump traverses every moment in history to bring it back to us through his visual experience.

In December, Bologna will once again focus on 19th-century Italian painting and will do so thanks to the rediscovery of the master of the 'Macchiaioli' Giovanni Fattori. The exhibition curated by Claudia Fulgheri, Elisabetta Matteucci and Francesca Panconi presents a remarkable selection of over 70 works from the production of the painter from Livorno, a forerunner and anticipator of several artists from the 20th century to the present day. Must-see!

As early as November, and for the entire month of December, you will be able to admire all the most provocative, visionary and non-conformist works of our time in Bologna at Palazzo Albergati: the exhibition Jago, Banksy, TvBoy e altre storie controcorrente (Jago, Banksy, TvBoy and other countercurrent stories) offers a remarkable leap from Fattori's nineteenth-century work.

It will revolve around three contemporary artists who have made even art historians discuss and turn up their noses, but who have brought the Italian public so much closer to the world of art and exhibitions. Worth a visit!

As we already know, the ancient often opens up to the contemporary and becomes something wonderful. Imagine a context such as the Villa Zito picture gallery in Palermo, in the Sicilian aristocratic palace of the same name, which stages the exhibition Corpi Estranei. A project by the Italian artist Cesare Viel here inspired by the poet Emily Dickinson. If you are inspired by minimalism and conceptuality, this is an exhibition for you!

If you are looking for a contemporary art exhibition not to be missed, you have found it! We are talking about the next solo exhibition of Philip Colbert, considered among the greatest artists on the contemporary scene. Not only an artist but also an environmental activist who has been denouncing and fighting against climate change for years. A lover of new technologies, a pioneer of the metaverse, he is at home with practically every art form from painting to photography to the use of new media. Don't miss this one!

Rome's MaXXi, one of Italy's leading contemporary art museums, brings Bob Dylan, an iconic figure of the 20th century and modernity, to the stage. A well-rounded artist and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, he has been pursuing all avant-garde practices also in the visual arts for several years. Retrospectrum is the first Italian exhibition to explore the great artist's art and life paths.

How far can human perception go? We will discover this in the approximately 200 works on display in the spaces of the historic Museo degli Innocenti, now increasingly a landmark in the city of Florence as a venue for major exhibitions and art events. Escher is by now an artist who needs no introduction, so much so that he is one of the most loved by audiences all over the world. If you are in Florence go and visit Michelangelo's David, Giotto's Campanile, the many Renaissance works and this extraordinary exhibition!

The last stop on our journey takes us to Perugia, an ancient city in central Italy, where for the entire month of December you will find an exhibition on one of Italy's greatest vedutisti, Giovan Battista Piranesi. The great master of engraving with over 50 plates on the beauty of Rome and other cities will take you on a timeless journey. You don't want to miss it, do you?