COLLEONI 550,
A LIVING LEGACY

The 550th anniversary is not only celebrated with exhibitions: it is also an opportunity to reflect and restart studies on the figure and material and cultural legacy of Bartolomeo Colleoni, military leader, patron, man of culture, and benefactor.

Bartolomeo Colleoni will be presented as a figure of international stature, but also as a member of Bergamo's cultural elite, concerned with exerting a virtuous influence on local dynamics through the wise use of charity and welfare. There will be comparative references to similar situations in contemporary Italy, to Colleoni's role in the city, between personal power and institutions, and to comparisons with other charismatic leaders. Colleoni will be discussed as a patron of monumental works and celebratory models in the princely states of 15th-century Italy. Attention will be focused on the artistic production linked to the commander and the celebration of the Colleoni myth in the modern age. The impact of these undertakings on documentary production will also be examined, with a look at the Luogo Pio's archival heritage.