Renato Guttuso a Vieste

# Renato Guttuso in Vieste: an exhibition dedicated to the great 20th-century Italian artist at Torre San Felice

**From 7 June to 20 September 2026, Torre San Felice in Vieste hosts “Renato Guttuso in Vieste”, an exhibition dedicated to one of the leading figures of 20th-century Italian art. More than twenty works created between the 1940s and the 1980s are on display.**

Vieste pays tribute to **Renato Guttuso** with an exhibition spanning around forty years of the renowned Sicilian artist’s career. Promoted by the **Municipality of Vieste** and organised by **Galleria Lombardi** in collaboration with **Giuseppe Benvenuto**, the exhibition will remain open until **20 September 2026** in the evocative setting of **Torre San Felice**.

The exhibition features **more than twenty works** selected to explore some of the central themes of Guttuso’s artistic research: the landscapes of his native Sicily, portraits, human figures, the world of work and subjects connected with the social and political issues of his time.

## Sicily and the Mediterranean in Guttuso’s art

Born in Bagheria in 1911 and deceased in Rome in 1987, Renato Guttuso was one of the most significant Italian artists of the 20th century. His painting was deeply influenced by the historical, social and political context of his time, which he portrayed through a realistic language characterised by intense colours and powerful expression.

**Sicily** plays a fundamental role in his work. His homeland was a constant source of images, atmospheres and reflections. In Guttuso’s paintings, the Mediterranean landscape becomes a place where beauty, hard work and social tensions coexist.

Works on display in Vieste include **“Fichi d’india” (Prickly Pears)**, **“Tre persone che guardano l’Etna” (Three People Looking at Mount Etna)** and **“Peperoni (studio per la Vucciria)” (Peppers – Study for La Vucciria)**. These works highlight the artist’s profound relationship with the Mediterranean, also expressed through his intense use of colour and light.

## Work and human dignity

Alongside Sicily, the exhibition explores another fundamental aspect of Guttuso’s artistic vision: his attention to ordinary people.

In works such as **“Il falegname” (The Carpenter)**, the artist places everyday work and human dignity at the centre of the composition, transforming simple and demanding occupations into subjects worthy of major artistic representation.

Female figures also play an important role in his work. Guttuso portrayed women with a distinctly Mediterranean physicality and sensuality, far removed from idealised representations and rooted instead in popular, concrete and earthly settings.

## A dialogue between Sicily and the Gargano

Hosting the exhibition in Vieste creates an ideal dialogue between Guttuso’s Sicily and the **Gargano** area.

As highlighted by the Mayor of Vieste, **Giuseppe Nobiletti**, the two territories share a deep connection with the Mediterranean, a strong historical identity and a culture built around the values of work and community.

**Alessandro Del Zompo**, municipal councillor responsible for Culture, also emphasises this connection and Guttuso’s particular attention to fishermen, farmers and craftsmen, figures who became central to an artistic narrative focused on the dignity of ordinary people.

The exhibition is accompanied by a **catalogue published by Galleria Lombardi**, produced with the support and cooperation of the Renato Guttuso Archive.

## Visitor information

**Exhibition:** Renato Guttuso in Vieste

**Dates:** 7 June – 20 September 2026

**Venue:** Torre San Felice, Via Vieste 53 – Vieste (FG), Italy

**Opening hours:**

Tuesday to Sunday

10:30 am – 1:30 pm

4:30 pm – 7:30 pm

**Closed:** Monday

### Tickets

**Full price:** €5

**Reduced:** €3 for Vieste residents, visitors over 65, visitors under 18, university students and groups of at least 10 people.

**Free admission:** children under 12, people with disabilities and one family member or accompanying person, licensed tourist guides while carrying out their professional duties, and journalists.

Tickets can be purchased directly at the venue or online through **Ciaotickets**.

**Information:** +39 346 7334054