From May 16 to June 20, the Giorgio de Marchis Bonanni d’Ocre Foundation is hosting an extraordinary journey into the essence of Japanese art. This project combines Eastern sensibilities with the history of L’Aquila, celebrating the ability to start anew after adversity.

2026 is shaping up to be a year of great cultural vibrancy for L’Aquila. As part of the rich program for L’Aquila, Italian Capital of Culture 2026, the project “Nanakorobi Yaoki – Fall Seven Times, Get Up the Eighth” is opening its doors to the public. The initiative, promoted and supported by the City of L’Aquila, serves as an ideal bridge between Italy and Japan, celebrating Noh theater as a millennia-old art form.

L’Aquila’s International Reach

The importance of this connection was emphasized by the Mayor of L’Aquila, Pierluigi Biondi: “L’Aquila, the 2026 Italian Capital of Culture, reaffirms its role as a meeting place for civilizations and universal languages. Through the ‘Nanakorobi Yaoki’ project, the De Marchis Foundation brings the essence of Noh theater—an art form dating back millennia—to the heart of our city. Hosting this event means honoring the memory of Giorgio de Marchis, who did so much to foster dialogue between Italy and Japan, and reaffirming our city’s international vocation, which enables it to look to the future through the power of culture.”

Imagining the Invisible: The Heart of the Exhibition

The heart of the event is the photography exhibition “Imagining the Invisible” by Fabio Massimo Fioravanti. Through 100 photographs taken over more than 35 years of travel in Japan, the artist takes us behind the scenes of the Nō Theater, revealing secret places such as the “mirror room” and the meticulous preparation work of the actors.

The exhibition goes beyond photography: enriching the exhibition are 40 ukiyo-e prints by the master Tsukioka Kogyo (on display for the first time in Italy), original masks by the artist Keiko Udaka, and authentic stage costumes. A unique opportunity to discover a form of theater that is, at once, literature, music, dance, and poetry.

A Dialogue Among Regions

The Foundation’s director, Diana Di Berardino, explains the deeper origins of this project: “The project aims to enhance and deepen the dialogue between the L’Aquila region and the Foundation itself with Japan—a country that is geographically distant but closely connected in terms of history and sensibilities. These are two regions that share a history marked by similar experiences; they have both known the pain of destruction but, at the same time, have overcome it all through art, culture, and remembrance. Time and again, these places have found the strength to face their fate and to return to life and rebuild.”

The motto “Nanakorobi Yaoki” thus becomes a shared vision: falling and finding the strength to get back up—once again—is the very essence of this cultural journey.

A calendar of meetings and events

The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of exclusive events at the Foundation’s headquarters (Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 23):

• May 23: A talk with artist Keiko Udaka on the art of Nō masks and a performance by Monique Arnaud.
• May 30: Paolo Di Paolo talks with Dacia Maraini about their experiences living in Japan.
• June 6: Concert by Fabrizio Valente on the shakuhachi (a traditional wind instrument).
• June 13: Claudia Iazzetta’s lecture: “Like a Blade of Grass Floating in Water: Komachi and Other Female Characters in NŌ Theater.”
• June 20: Closing event with Prof. Matteo Casari and Fabio Massimo Fioravanti for a concluding reflection.