Situated in the heart of the historic centre, it stands as one of the most significant examples of L’Aquila’s civic, artistic and cultural history. The 2009 earthquake severely damaged its structure and decorative features, necessitating a comprehensive programme of structural reinforcement, architectural restoration and conservation. The project, sponsored by BPER, undertook this work with the aim of preserving the complex’s historical value and restoring it to a new public function.
A story returned to the city
From 3 September 2026, the historic building will house a permanent exhibition dedicated to five centuries of art from central and southern Italy. The project brings a significant part of the Cassa di Risparmio della Provincia dell’Aquila’s collection back to L’Aquila and reopens the building’s decorated rooms to the public, including the Sala di San Clemente.
The permanent exhibition, the temporary exhibition dedicated to the history of the Palazzo, the educational activities and the cultural programme have received the patronage of L’Aquila City Council and form part of the initiatives for L’Aquila 2026 – Italian Capital of Culture.
The BPER Gallery
The permanent collection
It brings together works from different parts of the BPER Corporate Collection and returns to the city a significant portion of the historic collection of the Cassa di Risparmio della Provincia dell’Aquila. The collection from L’Aquila is complemented by paintings from other banking collections that have been incorporated into the BPER Group’s holdings, selected to broaden the narrative and highlight the artistic connections that have developed over the centuries between Abruzzo, Marche, Umbria, Rome, Naples and Southern Italy. The exhibition, entitled ‘A Treasure Trove of Memories: Landscapes, Colour and Tradition – Five Centuries of Art from Southern Italy’, spans a period from the late 15th century to the early decades of the 20th century.
The San Clemente room
Among the most exquisite rooms in Palazzo Farinosi Branconi, the Sala di San Clemente represents one of the most significant achievements of the restoration project and symbolises the palace’s new lease of life. The room takes its name from the cycle of paintings dedicated to Saint Clement I, pope and martyr. The 2009 earthquake made it necessary to remove the frescoes to allow for the building’s stabilisation and to ensure their preservation. Their subsequent reinstallation required extensive historical and artistic research, as well as the use of innovative methodologies, including high-precision three-dimensional surveys, digital reconstructions and support systems developed to restore the room’s original configuration whilst fully respecting the historical material.
Cultural initiatives and events
Premio Strega
BPER supports the Strega Prize, one of the most important literary events in Italy promoted by the Maria and Goffredo Bellonci Foundation and Liquore Strega, with the contribution of the Rome Chamber of Commerce.
Arte Fiera 2025
BPER is Main Partner of Arte Fiera Bologna, one of the most eagerly awaited national trade fair events.
Also this year the event is enriched by the BPER Prize, dedicated to the promotion of women's issues.
Also this year the event is enriched by the BPER Prize, dedicated to the promotion of women's issues.
Venice Biennale 2024
On the occasion of the 60th Venice Biennale, BPER was sponsor of the Venice Pavilion presenting a high-profile artistic exhibition project dedicated to the social and emotional dimension of the search for identity.
The cultural programme
The Cultural Centre is presenting a programme of events to the city. Alongside educational activities aimed at schools, there is a series of themed ARTalk sessions, events for families and guided tours.
The calendar, which is constantly updated, is available on the La Galleria BPER website.
The educational programme
A museum that grows alongside the school
A museum that grows alongside the school
The BPER Gallery offers an educational programme aimed at schools of all levels, as part of a project that links the new Cultural Centres in L’Aquila and Ferrara with the historic sites in Modena, Genoa, Brescia and Milan. This integrated museum network connects venues, collections and regions, offering a unified view of the Bank’s artistic heritage.
Entirely free of charge, the educational programme was created with the aim of introducing children and young people to art through direct, participatory and inclusive experiences, with particular attention paid to accessibility and to pupils with disabilities or special educational needs.
At Palazzo Farinosi Branconi, the programme showcases the permanent collection through an ongoing dialogue between artworks, architecture, history and the local area, guiding students on a journey that fosters observation, creativity, critical thinking and an awareness of cultural heritage.
Nursery school
With A Museum Full of Animals and I Paint Like Palizzi!, children aged 3 to 5 discover art through play, storytelling and observation. Animals, landscapes and stories become tools for stimulating the imagination, curiosity and the ability to interpret images.
Primary school
The programmes Discovering Our Roots and Landscape and Stories of Abruzzo take pupils on a journey of discovery through Palazzo Farinosi Branconio, the artistic traditions of Abruzzo and the region’s cultural heritage, combining guided tours with hands-on workshops.
Lower secondary school
Through What If…? and A Woman’s Perspective, students are invited to engage with the works in the collection through interpretation, dialogue and creative reworking, reflecting on the themes of identity, representation and cultural change.
Upper secondary school
The courses Reading Images: Sacred Art According to Panofsky and L’Aquila: Capital of Culture 2.0 explore the languages of art, methods of interpreting images and the relationship between cultural heritage, the local area and citizenship, providing students with tools for critical analysis and an opportunity to reflect on the museum as a place of knowledge, participation and cultural regeneration.
Goal Zero Area at MUSE di Trento
A project in partnership with MUSE - Museum of Science in Trento, with the aim of letting visitors know how much shared value can be created by using their savings, selecting different investment strategies related to sustainable finance, and the initiatives proposed by the BPER Group that generate a positive and long-term impact on the environment and society.
Projects for school
Born to read
Together with Associazione Culturale Pediatri, Associazione Italiana Biblioteche and Centro per la Salute del Bambino Onlus, we promote the value of reading: more than 20,000 newborns will receive a book, and new parents an informational leaflet on the importance of reading from an early age.
Forum 4 School:
the project, created in collaboration with the Historical Institute of Modena, offers schools an approach to contemporary history through testimonies of scholars and direct and indirect protagonists of the most recent historical events.
#LaBancaCheSaLeggere
activities related to the realization of cultural, artistic and musical events to promote the dissemination of culture.
Support for Prizes of national importance
the Strega Prize, the Estense Prize, the Laudomia Bonanni Poetry Prize, the Flaiano Prize, the National Prize and the Giancarlo Dosi Scientific Disclosure Junior Video Contest.
Events
Ravenna Festival, Modena Philosophy Festival, IMAGinACTION, Giffoni Film Festival, Ischia Film Festival, Time in Jazz, Mantua Literature Festival
"Forum Events" review
at the BPER Forum in Modena, meetings with contemporary authors.
Events promoted by ABI:
"Invitation to the Palace," which opens the most beautiful buildings of Italian banks to the public, and the "Festival of Creative Culture" dedicated to children and teenagers.
Sognalib(e)ro:
literary prize reserved for inmates of Italian prisons, to promote reading and writing in penitentiary institutions.