From August 14 to 24, 2025, the Firmafede Fortress in Sarzana (La Spezia) will host the XXXVII edition of the National Antiques Exhibition City of Sarzana, an event organized by theSarzana Antiques Association in collaboration with Confcommercio La Spezia and the City of Sarzana. The initiative represents a well-established appointment in the Italian antiques trade and is an event aimed at enhancing art in multiple forms, offering an articulated cultural proposal accessible to a wide audience.
The choice of Fortezza Firmafede as the venue for the exhibition is not accidental: it is a Renaissance masterpiece of Florentine architecture that constitutes a place of strong historical and symbolic value. During 2025, the Fortress has already hosted a rich calendar of cultural events, including the exhibition dedicated to Giorgio de Chirico entitled The Metaphysics of Creation.
The exhibition will take place within the historic “cellette” on two levels, culminating on the second floor, where there is an exhibition room dedicated to Fiorella Carelli Carozzi, a leading figure in local antiquarian culture. The selection of exhibitors includes antiquarians from all over Italy, with offerings ranging from antique furniture to paintings, from antique rugs to artistic ceramics, as well as art glass and works by prominent 20th-century designers.
Highlights of the XXXVII edition include Vincent Malò’s St. Andrew’s Crucifixion , Adriaen van der Cabel ’s Still Life with Baskets of Plums and Apricots, and The Small Market (Preparations for the Cana Supper) attributed to Leandro Bassano. The exhibition also includes furnishings such as a Japanese Imari porcelain bowl from the Edo period and a sideboard designed by Edoardo Gellner, a 1955 Italian product.
In addition to the main exhibition, there will be a series of thematic meetings with scholars, antiquarians and restorers, aimed at exploring various aspects of artistic and antiquarian heritage. The cultural experience is also enriched by the usual collateral exhibition, set up in the basement of the Fortress and dedicated to local artists, both emerging and established. Entitled Yesterday, the exhibition brings together ten artists who, through sculptures and site-specific works, interpret historical spaces as a source of inspiration for imagining new perspectives. The works reflect a dialogue between past and contemporary, dissolving temporal boundaries and enhancing the cultural identity of the place.
The artists featured in this section are Cristina Balsotti, Sandro Del Pistoia, Paolo Fiorellini, Claudia Guastini, Stefano Lanzardo, Jeronimo Marco Merino, Elisa Modugno, Raffaello Rovati, Giuliano Tomaino and Ivan Vitale Lazzoni. Their installations integrate with the environment of stone, light and silence of the Fortress, creating a path that interweaves historical roots and future visions.
Sarzana’s National Antiques Show has a long tradition rooted in the city’s history, starting with the Soffitta nella Strada in 1965 and ending with the first edition of the National Antiques Show in 1978. Over the years, the event has maintained strong ties to the local area while opening its doors to an increasingly large international audience. Its presence in the calendar of the Italian antiques sector makes it a point of reference for the promotion of material and intangible culture, offering a journey through time that combines beauty and memory. The exhibition will be open daily from 6 p.m. to midnight.
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| In Sarzana the 37th edition of the National Antiques Show. |
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