Description of the attraction
The National Gallery of Cosenza is located in the building of the old Palazzo Arnone on the hill of Colle Trillo in Via Gravina. The construction of the Palazzo began in the first half of the 16th century by order of Bartolo Arnone, but even before the completion of the construction, it was sold to the city municipality. At first, it housed the Tribunal and Courtroom, and later the palace was used as a prison. After moving the prison to another building, Palazzo Arnone was abandoned for some time, and then it was restored and turned into a museum. Today it houses the city's Pinakothek - an art gallery - with works by Pietro Negroni, Mattia Preti, Luca Giordano and other painters. It also hosts various cultural events, including thematic exhibitions. One of the latter was dedicated to the work of the Italian artist, sculptor and theorist of futurism Umberto Boccioni.
In 2008, Palazzo Arnone was restored and in 2010 it opened its doors again to visitors. The gallery's collections today occupy four rooms, one of which contains a wooden shovel discovered here during the acquisition of the palace by the municipality in the 16th century, and the other exhibits two huge canvases by Luca Giordano measuring 5 by 3 meters. In 2010, the National Gallery of Cosenza acquired 38 exhibits from the prestigious Karime Collection, for which a special wing of the exhibition complex was prepared. Among the new works are the creations of Ribera and Gisella di Boccioni.
