Modena is preparing to host, from February 7 to 15, 2026, the thirty-ninth edition of Modenantiquaria, an exhibition dedicated toHigh Antiques. The event, sponsored by theAssociazione Antiquari d’Italia and FIMA, this year also sees the support of Confcommercio Imprese per l’Italia, the National Tourist Board, the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Municipality of Modena and the local Chamber of Commerce. The exhibition has consolidated over time a role as an international reference for collectors, gallery owners and enthusiasts, with an offer that manages to combine the tradition of antiques with the ability to dialogue with contemporary languages. The governance of the event is renewed in 2026: Marte S.r.l., a subsidiary of Confcommercio Modena, has taken over the organization of the fair, recognizing its strategic value on the national scene.
“We are proud to have picked up from Modenafiere the baton of organizing Modenantiquaria, the most important annual event of high antiques in Italy,” says Tommaso Leone, president of Marte S.r.l. The goal, which we will pursue together with all stakeholders and partners involved, will be to strengthen the identity of the event, which is capable of bringing together galleries of great prestige with collectors, enthusiasts, art dealers and the simply curious, and to involve the city more and more with a plan of actions that we will unveil in the coming weeks."
Founded thirty-eight years ago, Modenantiquaria has maintained the ability to renew itself, as evidenced by the steady increase in the number of Italian and foreign exhibitors attracted by the quality of the selection of works.
“An ancient work of art,” stresses Pietro Cantore, vice president of the Associazione Antiquari d’Italia and artistic director of the fair, “is not simply an object to be treasured for its aesthetic value, but carries with it a narrative that spans the centuries and continues to surprise the observer. It is incumbent on us to safeguard the works in order to pass them on to future generations: the art market plays a fundamental role in this. Modena, with its history, discreet elegance and passion for culture, is the ideal place for an event like this. Modenantiquaria is not just a fair: it is a constant dialogue between collectors and experts, a bridge between past and present. The most important annual antiques exhibition in Italy has developed in this city partly because of the attention it receives here. It is a true unfailing city event that has been deeply rooted for nearly four decades. Moreover, there is an important collecting fabric in the area, with deep historical roots.”
Modenantiquaria’s strength lies in the quality of the works selected by antique dealers, who reserve for visitors pieces of great historical and artistic interest. The symbolic image of the 2026 edition will be, again this year, the bust of Francesco I d’Este by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, preserved at the Galleria Estense in Modena and among the world’s best-known Baroque sculptures. The exhibition will offer rare works, with a wealth and variety, both national and international, guaranteed by vetting by internationally renowned art historians and specialists, certifying their authenticity and quality.
The layout of the fair is designed to enhance the works and create a continuous dialogue between exhibitors and visitors, a path that combines rigor and lightness and aims to build a narrative and engaging experience. Modenantiquaria 2026 confirms the participation of leading Italian and foreign galleries, emphasizing attention to the selection and prestige of the pieces on display. The event will also count on established partnerships with BolognaFiere, Acetaia Malpighi, Big Broker Insurance Group, Piacere Modena, Visitmodena, Modenatur and Modenamoremio, confirming the event’s centrality in the cultural and economic landscape of the city and region. The 2026 edition is therefore an opportunity to observe the evolution of a sector capable of dialoguing with the present without losing its ties to tradition, and to reflect on Modena’s role as a city of reference for High Antiques, a meeting point between history, culture and the art market.
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| Modenantiquaria 2026: the thirty-ninth edition of High Antiques in February |
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