Pierluigi Biondi, mayor of L’Aquila:“The return of Raphael’s *Visitation* is an act of historical justice and a victory for our cultural aspirations. Bringing a work of such universal value back to L’Aquila after 400 years demonstrates the strength of our plan for 2026 and the City’s ability to engage with major international institutions such as the Prado Museum. This achievement was made possible by the invaluable and ongoing dialogue with the Spanish Embassy in Italy, which facilitated an unprecedented process of cultural diplomacy. We have firmly believed in and invested in this initiative, covering 80% of the financial needs, convinced that transnational collaboration and culture are the main drivers for the rebirth and global visibility of our region.”
After nearly four centuries, Raffaello Sanzio’s masterpiece, “The Visitation, ” makes its triumphant return to L’Aquila. The work, originally painted around 1517 for the Church of San Silvestro and taken from the city in 1655 by Spanish occupation troops, will be the centerpiece of one of the most prestigious events in the program for L’Aquila, Italian Capital of Culture 2026.
The exhibition, titled“The Visitation of L’Aquila: Raphael and Pontormo,”will be open to the public from June 27 to September 27, 2026. Curated by Professor Tom Henry and Dr. Federica Zalabra, the exhibition will be hosted at the MuNDA—National Museum of Abruzzo—and the 16th-century castle.
The exhibition will offer a unique comparison between Raphael’s painting—now the pride of the Prado Museum in Madrid—and Pontormo’s famous *Visitation of Carmignano*. In addition to the paintings, the exhibition will feature drawings, prints, and archival documents to explore the connection between the master from Urbino and his patron from L’Aquila, Giovanni Battista Branconio. The event will also present a reconstruction of the lost Palazzo Branconio in Rome through a new wooden model.
The return of the artwork was made possible by a successful institutional collaboration between the City of L’Aquila, the Ministry of Culture, MuNDA, the Spanish Embassy in Italy, and the Prado Museum. The project is sponsored and 80% funded by the City of L’Aquila, representing an investment of €711,240.00 as part of the activities for the 2026 Italian Capital of Culture.
The initiative, which is based on principles of accessibility and inclusion, will be accompanied by an illustrated catalog featuring scholarly articles by experts in the field.