From DE ROSA to Fortezza Vecchia

From June 19 to 30, 2026, the evocative Sala del Piaggione dei Grani will be transformed into a large visual stage where the historic fortified walls will interact with the imaginative universe of one of the greatest contemporary fantastic painters.

The exhibition will offer the public an immersive journey through the Master’s most famous paintings, known for their rigorous architectural structures, utopian cities, and especially for their spectacular mythological battles. Timeless knights, legendary creatures, and dreamlike atmospheres will animate the space, transporting visitors to a dimension where myth meets painting.

An absolute novelty will be the presentation of a limited series of lithographs, including some depicting the Old Fortress itself. Specially commissioned by the Fidanda Gallery, these unpublished works show the famous Livorno monument reinterpreted through the Master’s unmistakable style, paying tribute to the deep bond between the artist and the city of Livorno.

The official inauguration will take place Friday, June 19 at 6:00 p.m., in the presence of the artist and the organizers, offering enthusiasts, citizens, and collectors the opportunity to rediscover the Old Fortress in a new and extraordinary artistic light.

Raffaele De Rosa (1940), born in Podenzana and adopted by Livorno, is one of the most original and free figures of contemporary fantastic and dreamlike painting. Raised in an isolated childhood that early fueled his imagination, he developed a highly personal pictorial language as a means of escape and self-analysis from a very young age. De Rosa blends in his works admiration for past masters such as Dürer, Mantegna, and Piranesi, with a strong theatrical and literary matrix inspired by authors such as Calvino and Cervantes.

His career, launched at just nineteen, has led him to exhibit throughout Italy and around the globe: throughout France, from Canada to India, from New York to Jerusalem. In his paintings, characterized by complex architectural structures of imaginary cities, timeless battles, and mythological archetypes, drawing welcomes storytelling, while a masterful and vibrant use of color conveys pure emotion. Today he continues to paint and his works are known worldwide.