ROME

BAAB_Issue_00, Multiple venues across the city

Until November 6th 2025

Making a dent in Italy’s historically institutionalized art world is this new Biennial born from Andrea Baccin and Ilaria Marotta, the founders of editorial platform CURA. and Basement Roma, a non-profit art center a few streets away from the Vatican. BAAB is a platform for experimentation and dialogue, where contemporary art isn’t polished or precious but rather, alive and ready to challenge. If you feel like stepping away from the marble for a moment, look out for BAAB’s packed program of readings, talks, film screenings and performances. 

Lavinia, Villa Borghese

Until November 23rdLavinia is the three-year-long restoration project revitalizing the Loggia dei Vini in the Villa Borghese park through contemporary art. Taking its name from Lavinia Fontana (1552-1614), the art program welcomes the works of Ruth Ewan and Lili Reynaud-Dewar this fall. In true Italian fashion, a special edition gelato flavor, uva fragola, will accompany the fourth phase of the Lavinia project.

Alphonse Mucha. A Triumph of Beauty and Seduction, Palazzo Bonaparte

From October 8th to March 3rd 2026

In the grandeur of Palazzo Bonaparte, this exhibition showcases over 150 works from the artist synonymous with the Art Nouveau movement, as well as ones from Giovanni Boldini and Cesare Saccaggi; art Nouveau furnishings and objects round out the picture. The guest of honor? Botticelli’s Venus, on loan from the Royal Museums of Turin. 

Rome Film Fest, Auditorium Parco della Musica

From October 15th to the 26th 

Cinema stretches beyond the frame at the 20th edition of the Rome Film Fest, curated by Paola Malanga and opening with Riccardo Ilani’s La Vita Va Cosi. The festival includes various formats of films: fiction, documentaries, animation, including restorations, homages, and retrospective elements.

Romadiffusa, Across the city 

From October 16th to October 19th 

From the minds behind the creative agency Bla Studio, Romadiffusa is a multidisciplinary festival which has taken over the Eternal City for four years in a row. Founders and curators Sara D’Agati and Maddalena Salerno play with the concept of Rome as an “open air museum” with the slogan “Rome: Eternal, Contemporary City”. Over three days, look out for the likes of poetry in old taverns and experimental soundscapes in baroque salons. 

how we always survived, Instituto Svizzero 

From October 17th to February 1st 

Welcoming Berlin-based duo Pauline Bourdry and Renate Lorenz for their first solo exhibition in Italy is the Instituto Svizzero with a show titled how we always survived. Works conceived specifically for the spaces of the Villa Maraini, along with pre-existing works, unfold within the villa’s walls, exploring sound as a medium for shaping hope and encouraging reflection. Aesthetics and politics coincide through the exhibition’s soundscape and dance. 

MILAN

Milan, a rising city, Steam Factory

Until January 2026

At Steam Factory, Milan, City that Rises is a multidisciplinary living archive—a seven-part, episodic exhibition tracing the city’s cultural, intellectual, and entrepreneurial pulse from the 1940s to today. Conceived by Scalpendi and designed by Paolo Volpato and Monica Vittucci, each 21-day chapter delves into a key figure or movement that helped shape Milan’s spirit. 

SUEÑO PERRO, Fondazione Prada

Until February 26th 2026

Miuccia Prada’s Fondazione is always a good call when it comes to new and exciting art shows. This fall, an exhibition from Oscar-Winning director Alejandro G. Inarritu (The Revenant, Babel, Birdman…) reveals unseen footage from his cult classic Amores Perros. The multi-sensorial exhibition features a bespoke soundscape, walking through a semi-dark labyrinth, creating a dreamlike atmosphere exploring the themes of love, betrayal, and violence, marking 25 years since the film came out.

Nan Goldin, This Will Not End Well

From October 10th to February 15th 2026

This landmark retrospective is the first to focus exclusively on Nan Goldin’s work as a filmmaker. Born in Washington D.C. in 1953, Goldin is renowned for her raw, intimate portrayals of love, identity, addiction, and the LGBTQ+ community. The exhibition unfolds across a series of specially designed pavilions by architect Hala Wardé, each offering an immersive environment tailored to a different body of work. This Will Not End Well is a bold reexamination of Goldin’s legacy and her profound influence on contemporary visual culture.

Jazzmi Festival

From October 23rd to November 9th 

This jazz festival returns for its tenth edition in storied theaters and hidden clubs with concerts, films, and various exhibitions. Don’t miss performances by the likes of Diana Krall and British jazz band Kokoroko. 

FLORENCE

We Are Nature by Haley Mellin and The City of Women by Lorenzo Bonechi, Museo Novecent

Until October 29th

Two parallel exhibitions probe how we relate to nature, identity, and gender from distinct angles. Mellin’s hyperrealist canvases and Bonechi’s works from the Transavanguardia of the ’70s and ’80s place women within ethereal landscapes, presenting both the natural world and the built environment as sources of imagination and renewal.

The Rose That Grew From Concrete, Museo Sant’Orsola

Until January 4th 2026

Rather than wait until the official reopening of the Museo Sant’Orsola, this ex-convent and former military and manufacturing complex is making-do with the building still undergoing renovations. Creative ideas have sparked site-specific shows such as The Rose That Grew From Concrete as a part of the series “Exhibitions in Progress”. This show explores themes of resilience, memory, transformation, and rebirth, demonstrating how neglected spaces can be reclaimed. 

Beato Angelico, Palazzo Strozzi e Museo di San Marco

Until January 25th 2026

Curated by Carl Brandon Strehlke with Angelo Tartuferi and Stefano Casciu, the show gathers over 140 works—paintings, drawings, sculptures, miniatures, and illuminated manuscripts—spanning Angelico’s transition from late Gothic traditions into Renaissance innovation, and explores his relationships with contemporaries like Masaccio, Filippo Lippi, and Lorenzo Monaco, as well as sculptors like Ghiberti and Luca della Robbia. The exhibition is notable not just for its scale but for reunifying altarpieces dispersed over centuries, offering a rare chance to view some masterpieces in restored form. 

Florence Biennale, Fortezza da Basso

From October 18th to the 26th 

“The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness. Concepts of Dualism and Unity in Contemporary Art and Design” is the theme of this year’s Florence Biennale, gathering works from over 600 artists from over 80 countries in the world. Receiving the lifetime achievement award is Tim Burton whose work in film, drawing, and stop-motion will be recognized. Among the guests of honor, expect work from Swedish photographer Gabriel Isak, British sculptor Emily Young, and Chilean jewelry designer Nicole Albagli Iruretagoyena.

Luigi Ghirri. Polaroid ’79-’83, Centro Pecci

From November 22nd to May 10th 

Centro Pecci presents Luigi Ghirri. Polaroid ’79–’83, a deep dive into one of Italy’s most poetic and pioneering photographers. Featuring over 100 Polaroid images—many never before exhibited—this show traces a deeply personal and experimental period in Ghirri’s career.

Vivono, Centro Pecci

From October 4th to May 10th 

This powerful exhibition explores the HIV/AIDS crisis in Italy between 1982 and 1996 through documents, posters, articles, videos, and soundtracks that sketch the political, cultural, and social climate of that period. Titled Vivono, the show also features works by international artists such as Keith Haring, Gran Fury, and Felix Gonzalez-Torres—whose iconic blue organza curtains return to Italy for the first time since 1991. Rather than treating HIV/AIDS as a subject, the exhibition uses the illness as a lens to examine beauty, fragility, and connection.

VENICE

Diagrams: The Visual Language of Data, Fondazione Prada

From October 10th to November 24th

This exhibition curated by AMO/OMA explores the diagram as both a tool of knowledge and a medium of persuasion. Featuring over 300 objects—including manuscripts, videos, and historical graphs—the show delves into themes such as inequality, health, war, and truth, analyzing how data can construct or distort meaning across cultures and centuries.

Biennale Musica, Multiple Venues

From October 11th to October 25th 

Highlights of the 69th Biennale Musica, curated by Caterina Barbieri, include a rare performance by Meredith Monk, this year’s Golden Lion recipient, and Chuquimamani‑Condori, awarded the Silver Lion. The program dives deep into experimental and electronic realms, featuring artists like the legendary DJ Carl Craig, and Ecco2k. Set across iconic Venetian venues—from the Arsenale to Teatro Malibran—the festival offers immersive, interdisciplinary encounters.

Design Week, Across the city 

From October 11th to the 19th 

This year’s Design Week explores the theme “Tempora”—a meditation on time, memory, and design’s role across generations. Venice becomes an open-air gallery, with exhibitions tucked inside artisan studios and palazzi. Highlights include the thought-provoking Jewelry Selection, immersive light installations by Vistosi and Artemide, and an interactive lighting project by MAST. The weekend Design Market at Combo Venezia brings together makers of ceramics, wood, and 3D-printed objects. 

NAPLES

“Il cavallo bianco, gravido” by Patricia Domínguez, Made in Cloister

Until December 20th

The private cultural foundation born from entrepreneurial couple Davide de Blasio and Rosa Impronta’s love for the city is presenting “The Pregnant White Horse”—Chilean artist Patricia Dominguez’s first solo exhibition in Italy. The exhibition concludes the first year of the two-year program RINASCITA, dedicated to themes of transformation, species resistance, and possible rebirth in the context of the multiple crises affecting the contemporary world.

EDIT NAPOLI, La Santissima 

From October 10th to October 12th

For its seventh edition, this independent design festival will take place at La Santissima for the first time, the ancient SS. Trinita delle Monache Complex overlooking the city. This new venue—well-aligned with the festival’s commitment to urban regeneration and sustainable design—comes on the heels of the successful 2024 edition, which featured over 100 exhibitors from around the globe.

TURIN

Alba International White Truffle Fair, Alba 

From October 10th to December 7th

The 95th edition of the White Truffle Fair in Alba (an hour south of Turin)—one of Italy’s most renowned gastronomic celebrations—unfolds with intimate dinners, hands-on cooking classes, and sensorial workshops dedicated to wine and the elusive tartufo bianco. In the market, visitors can purchase truffles directly from the trifulao (local truffle hunters), and historical reenactments, parades, and a donkey palio take place all month long. 

“Fashion Life”, La Castiglia in Saluzzo

From October 24th to March 1st 2026

Celebrating the great master Ferdinando Scianna’s work, this photo exhibition sheds light on the lesser known chapter in his career: fashion. Best known for his Dolce & Gabbana campaign from 1987, shot in Sicilian villages and featuring the famous model Marpessa, the exhibition features over 90 works where quotidianità replaces artificial poses.

“Nights – Five Centuries of Stars, Dreams, Full Moons”, GAM 

From October 29th to March 1st 2026

Nights is an exploration of our relationship with the sky—at risk of sounding obvious, specifically at nighttime—which has inspired scientific and artistic creation since the dawn of time. The exhibition spans more than 400 years of works from Galileo’s astronomical observations to Jackson Pollock. 

C2C, Multiple venues 

From October 30th to November 2nd

C2C Festival returns to Turin for its 23rd edition with a four-day program including concerts, performances, and talks. As Italy’s largest indoor music festival, C2C draws over 40,000 attendees and showcases a boundary-pushing lineup that spans genres from electronic to rap, rock, jazz, pop, and R&B. This year’s edition features over 40 artists, including Blood Orange and Smerz, performing across two iconic venues: OGR Torino and Lingotto Fiere. The festival’s theme, Per aspera ad astra, honors founder and director Sergio Ricciardone, celebrating the visionary ethos that defines Club To Club. 

BOLOGNA

Robot Festival, Across multiple venues

From October 9th to the 11th 

Spread across historical and newer venues all over La Dotta, la Grassa, la Rossa, Robot is a festival with talks, performances, and curated nightlong events aimed at pushing the boundaries of the country’s music and festival scene, inviting acts from all over the world such as Sama’ Abdulhadi, Crystallmess, and Ela Minus. Highlights include dancing in centuries-old venues like the Chiesa S. Barbaziano. 

Graphic Japan, Museo Civico Archeologico

From November 20th to April 6th 2026

A journey through Japanese graphic art, Graphic Japan spans from Edo-period ukiyo-e prints to contemporary manga and posters. Curated by Rossella Menegazzo with Eleonora Lanza, the exhibition features over 200 works and is divided into four themes: Nature, Figures, Signs, Contemporary Japonism. Masterpieces from Italian and Japanese collections, including the Edoardo Chiossone Museum and the Dai Nippon Foundation, are paired with a rich program of cultural events that explore the depth and nuance of Japan’s visual imagination.

RAVENNA

Biennale di Mosaico Contemporaneo

From October 18th to January 18th 2026

The 9th edition of the Biennial of Contemporary Mosaic in Ravenna, with the theme of Shared Space, offers new perspectives on one of the world’s oldest artforms, reimagined by the works of modern and contemporary artists (like Omar Mismar, who plays on traditional social depictions through a queer lens). The star of the show will be an exhibition dedicated to Chagall’s mosaic work, showcasing his first encounters with mosaics. 

PARMA

Verdi OFF, Across the Province of Parma

Until October 19th

Verdi Off 2025 returns for its 10th edition with 30 days of over 190 free (free!) events celebrating the legacy of Giuseppe Verdi, the Parmigiano opera composer. Produced by Teatro Regio di Parma, the festival kicks off with the Verdi Street Parade and continues with open-air operas in streets and piazzas across the province. 

MONOPOLI

PhEST, Festival Internazionale di Fotografia e Arte

Until November 16th 

Marking its 10th anniversary, PhEST 2025 returns to Monopoli with the theme “This Is Us – A Capsule to Space”—a poetic reflection on who we are, what we remember, and what we might send into the cosmos to represent us. British icon Martin Parr headlines the program with his first solo exhibition in Puglia. This edition marks a new chapter with the opening of the Monastery of San Leonardo as the festival’s new headquarters and the reopening of the historic Palazzo Palmieri. 

PALERMO 

Elliott Erwitt: 190 Scatti Unici, Palazzo Reale

Until November 30th

The exhibition highlights Erwitt’s affectionate, ironic, and deeply human perspective on women, honoring his 2015 volume devoted to the female universe. An original video interview and a Simon & Garfunkel Central Park concert soundtrack complement the display.

ALTO ADIGE

Boom ’70 a Merano: un racconto dell’Alto Adige anni ’70‑’80

Until October 26th

Boom ’70 tells the story of South Tyrol in the 1970s and ’80s, a time marked by a sudden rise in tourism in the region. Between modernity and tradition, tourism and industry, church and bikini, the narrative unfolds through period objects—from advertising posters to quirky plastic portable bidets — and the voices of those who lived it. 

Autunno in Val Passiria 

From October 6th to November 7th

Val Passiria has its moment with a month-long calendar of activities throughout South Tyrol. Wander through forests on guided hikes led by herbalists, mountaineers, and storytellers; spend evenings fishing in alpine waters and roasted chestnuts over the fire; and don’t miss trying  Suser—young, unfiltered wine, a local specialty. 

Autunno Gourmet di Naturno – Vini e Piaceri, Naturno

From October 18th to November 22nd

At this food and wine festival, local chefs and vintners guide you through evenings of curated local menus—think wild herbs, mountain cheeses, and slow-raised meats—with thoughtful pairings. 

Melodie di Vini lungo la Strada del Vino dell’Alto Adige 

From October 18th to November 8th

During the third edition of Melodie di Vini, along one of Europe’s most picturesque wine routes, castles, estates, and historic residences in South Tyrol will host 12 exclusive concerts and tastings. Highlights include performances by the Aluna Ensemble at Castel Mareccio in Bolzano, the Windkraft trio’s TangoFusion at various castles, and a harp and violin recital by Duo Aurora in the Laimburg Rock Cellar in Vadena.