Osvaldo Licini Gallery of Contemporary Art

History of the Osvaldo Licini Gallery of Contemporary Art

The gallery was founded in 1964, on the initiative of the painter Ernesto Ercolani, under the name Civica Galleria d'Arte Grafica Moderna. The idea was to represent the art movements of the 20th century. Its first home was the 16th-century rooms of Palazzo Malaspina. In the 1970s, specifically in 1977, the graphic art collection became the Civica Galleria d'Arte Contemporanea, opening up to other art forms.

The turning point came at the end of the 1990s. Paintings by Fontana, Matta, Hartung, Morandi, De Pisis and Severini entered the collection. So did 40 paintings and 38 drawings by Licini, from the collection of Caterina Celi Hellstrom, adopted daughter of the painter's wife. With these holdings the gallery moved in 1999 to the former convent of Sant'Agostino and took Licini's name.

Further acquisitions followed. The municipality of Ascoli Piceno continued to buy works by the artist. In 2007, thanks to a partnership with the Fondazione Carisap, works from the collection of Tullio Pericoli were added.

What to see at the Osvaldo Licini Gallery of Contemporary Art

The core of the museum is the Licini collection, which makes it possible to follow in full a creative path that moved from figurative to abstract. The artist was born in Monte Vidon Corrado. He trained at the Accademia di Bologna and then in Paris, where he mixed with figures such as Modigliani and Kandinsky. Among his best-known themes are the Amalasunte, the Angeli ribelli (rebel angels) and the Croci viventi (living crosses). The gallery's works include Angelo ribelle su fondo rosso scuro (1946) and Amalasunta su fondo blu. In 1958, a few months before his death, Licini received the top prize of the Venice Biennale.

The display follows a chronological order and occupies the second floor of one wing of the cloister. After the section devoted to Licini comes a room with works by Fontana, Capogrossi, Vedova, Severini, Bompadre, Morandi, Hartung, Matta and De Pisis. A mezzanine, reached from the first room, holds the room dedicated to Tullio Pericoli, with drawings and preparatory cartoons for the Sala Garzanti.

The gallery has hosted major exhibitions. Among the best remembered are Il sopra-naturale in Chagall e Licini (2001-2002) and Da Tiziano a De Chirico (2004). For the fiftieth anniversary of Licini's death, from April 18, 2008, the Polo Sant'Agostino hosted a large retrospective dedicated to the artist. Exhibition activity has continued over the years: in October 2026 the gallery hosted a group show of four local artists.

How to visit the Osvaldo Licini Gallery of Contemporary Art

The gallery's opening hours change between the spring-summer season, which begins on April 1, and the autumn-winter season, from October 1. In both seasons opening is concentrated from Friday to Sunday, including public holidays and the days before them. It is closed on December 25, and on December 24 and 31 it opens in the morning only. Up-to-date opening hours are in the information box on this page. Tickets and discounts are best checked with the museum. Before setting off, it is worth checking for any changes, especially during temporary exhibitions, which sometimes have their own admission and hours.

The permanent collection occupies a compact space. A visit therefore takes little time, more if the current exhibitions are included. The Polo Sant'Agostino also has a 200-seat auditorium. In summer, the cloister is the setting for shows and performances.

Where the Osvaldo Licini Gallery of Contemporary Art is

The gallery is in the historic center of Ascoli Piceno, in the former convent complex of Sant'Agostino. It is reached by walking along Corso Mazzini, the ancient Roman decumanus, to Piazza Sant'Agostino. Here stands the Romanesque facade of the church, flanked by two noble towers. The exact address and contact details are in the box on this page.

Near the Osvaldo Licini Gallery of Contemporary Art

The stretch of Corso Mazzini leading to the Polo Sant'Agostino starts from the 16th-century Piazza del Popolo in Ascoli Piceno, with its portico. Piazza Arringo, instead, is overlooked by the Baptistery and the Cathedral; the Palazzo Comunale is home to the Civic Art Gallery. With more time, the Great Cloister of San Francesco, near Piazza del Popolo, is worth a visit.

For a broader picture of the town, see the page about things to do in Ascoli Piceno. For the religious monuments of the center, there are pages on the Cathedral of Sant'Emidio and the Baptistery of San Giovanni.