Padua ’s Reggia Carrarese returns to the center of the city’s cultural scene with a new initiative open to the public. On Friday, June 27, 2025, at 9 p.m., Guariento in Musica will take place, an event that proposes a journey of rediscovery of the spaces and history of the ancient residence of the da Carrara lords, enriched by musical moments and the presentation of an educational project that links the artistic heritage of the 14th century to a contemporary reworking through fashion. The initiative is promoted by the Accademia Galileiana di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti in Padova, which is based right in the spaces of the former palace. The aim is to enhance and raise awareness of one of the most important places of the Paduan Middle Ages, the center of seigniorial power during the rule of the da Carrara family, which ruled the city during the 14th century. The evening will kick off with a guided tour of the Reggia, focusing on the pictorial cycle attributed to Guariento di Arpo (Piove di Sacco, 1310-1370), an artist active in Padua in the first half of the 14th century and the author of numerous pictorial interventions that are today considered fundamental for understanding the Pregiottesque season and the subsequent development of Veneto art.
During the tour, visitors will have the opportunity to learn more about the artistic events related to the frescoes and the political, cultural and symbolic role that the Reggia played during the Carrarese rule. The representative and institutional function of the building, as well as its transformation over time, will be related to the patronage and power network that revolved around the Paduan lordship. At the end of the visit, the public will be welcomed to the loggia for a convivial moment accompanied by live music. The musical interlude will act as a bridge between the historical-artistic dimension of the event and the second part of the evening, which will include the opening of a temporary exhibition linked to an educational project carried out as part of the 2024/2025 school year. In fact, the clothes designed and made by the students of the E.U. Ruzza Institute of Higher Education, the result of a workshop entitled La moda al tempo di Guariento (Fashion at the time of Guariento), will be on display. The project, promoted by the Reggia Carrarese, proposed a path of creative reworking starting from the iconographic and stylistic elements taken from the frescoes of the 14th-century artist, with particular attention to the figure of Judith, the female protagonist of the Carrarese cycle.
The reference to Judith, a biblical figure known for her courageous and symbolically powerful action, is part of the desire to stimulate in students a reflection on the role of women in medieval visual culture, while at the same time offering an opportunity to investigate fabrics, fashions, colors and materials that can be traced back to the Carrarese era, translating them into contemporary forms. Since 2021, the frescoes of the Carrarese chapel, including the cycle created by Guariento, have been part of the 14th-century fresco cycles of the city of Padua, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Recognition has led to renewed interest in the entire Reggia complex and the pictorial apparatuses preserved within it, stimulating a series of initiatives geared toward public appreciation and enjoyment. Events related to the promotion of the Reggia Carrarese and its frescoes are entrusted to a group of young collaborators of the Accademia Galileiana. Their daily work focuses on welcoming and cultural mediation to the many visitors who come to the Paduan venue each year, helping to raise awareness of an important chapter in the city’s artistic history. Their activities include guided tours, workshops and informative moments dedicated to both local and international audiences.
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| Padua, at the Reggia Carrarese an evening of frescoes, music and fashion inspired by Padua's 14th century |
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