In the heart of Cividale, overlooking Piazza Duomo and Corso Mazzini, stands an elegant building from the second half of the fifteenth century: Palazzo De Nordis.
It is a symbolic place for the city, for over two hundred years it has preserved the historical and artistic memory of the area, thus giving space to its enhancement and knowledge at an international level. Already in the nineteenth century its rooms housed the rich archaeological, historical-artistic and archival-book collections, which would later give rise to the National Archaeological Museum, transferred in 1990 to the Palazzo dei Provveditori Veneti facing the same square.
Since 2010 Palazzo De Nordis has been used as a venue for temporary exhibitions aimed at enhancing the historical and artistic heritage of the region.
The entire building, owned by the State, was given on loan to the Municipality and has been used as:
- on the ground floor, the Informacittà desk, aimed to spread knowledge, enhancement and promotion of the territory.
- on the upper floors, a permanent exhibition of modern and contemporary paintings donated by the De Martiis family to the city.
The collection of works contains the emotional universe of the person who created it, it is the distinctive element that makes it unique, surprising, extraordinary. An innate aesthetic sense pushed Giancarlo De Martiis to buy works of art inspired only by his own taste, the emotions that a painting could provoke have always prevailed as a motivation for his choice.
The exhibited works span to the twentieth century through both abstract and figurative styles; two pastels by HENRI DE TOULOUSE LAUTREC and a tribute to Eduard Pignon, leading exponent of La Nouvelle Ecole de Paris, stand out.
Another core of the collection is linked to the language of the Informal with significant names such as: Karrel Appel, Victor Vasarely, Sebastian Matta, Graham Sutherland.
The presence of Italian artists is also important, starting with two paintings by the Friulian Afro Basaldella, to continue with Virgilio Guidi, Mario Sironi, Emilio Vedova, Tancredi Parmeggiani, Giuseppe Santomaso and Zoran Music.
The choices that the collector dedicated to two contemporary artists deserve particular attention: Mario Di Iorio from Friuli and Annemarie Dreibholz-Humele from Austria. The two artists trace the geographical demarcation lines in which the collector's daily life takes place: Friuli as a territory to which he belongs and Vienna, place of his education, culture and residence.
The suggestion we give to you, kind visitors, is to let yourself be conquered by the feelings that the works on display arouse, so as to understand the emotions that guided Giancarlo De Martiis in the choice of the paintings, and by doing so, share his passion.
PALAZZO DE NORDIS
Piazza Duomo, 5
33043 Cividale del Friuli – Italy
Ground floor - visitor center
Informacittà desk
tel. +39 0432 710460
First and second floor - collection of paintings
De Martiis Family Gallery
tel. +39 0432 710357
We remind you that the Reinforced Green Pass is required at the entrance (as of today 11/02/2022)
