On stage. The art of costumes at the Spoleto Festival

The Festival dei Due Mondi celebrates its rich history with an exhibition dedicated to its archive, the result of an extensive recovery and enhancement project initiated in 2021. Curated by Monica Trevisani, with the generous contributions of Maurizio Galante and Anna Biagiotti, this invaluable collection spans nearly seventy years of theatre, art, and innovation, tracing the key milestones of the Festival from its founding by Gian Carlo Menotti to the direction of Monique Veaute, through the leadership of Giorgio Ferrara. At the heart of the exhibition are the stage costumes, which bear witness to the creativity of the renowned costume designers who have collaborated with the Festival. Among the most iconic pieces are the costume worn by Rudolf Nureyev in Raymonda (1964, designed by Beni Montresor) and the sketches and costumes for The Rake’s Progress (1993, designed by David Hughes). The exhibition also showcases creations by Maurizio Galante, who designed some of the most captivating costumes for Giorgio Ferrara’s productions, as well as Anna Biagiotti's sketches for the operas Pelléas et Mélisande (2023) and Ariadne auf Naxos (2024), underscoring a tradition that continues to evolve. This exhibition is a journey through memory, bridging the past and the future, allowing visitors to rediscover the central role of the Festival in the international cultural landscape.