Ecce Homo by Antonello da Messina premiered in the Senate

“Return to looking at thework by Antonello da Messina not only does it make the single work more usable but it multiplies its importance, attention and, therefore, the usability“. With these words the president of the Senate, Ignazio La Russaunderlined the value ofworld premiere exhibition dell’Ecce Homo by Antonello da Messinainaugurated in Chapter Hall of Palazzo della Minervaheadquarters of Senate Libraryin the presence of Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli.

The painting, just acquired by the Italian State, arrived this morning at Fiumicino airport before being transferred to the exhibition site, where it will remain visible for ten days before its final destination at the National Museum of Abruzzo in L’Aquila.

“The image of Saint Jerome on the back it is consumed by kisses, like our holy cards. This is anot only a cultural but also a social operationmaybe even socio-economic“, added La Russa. “La cultureif it ‘spends’ well, on things that deserve it, it produces first and foremost richness of the spirit but also material wealthas a side effect”, concluded the president of the Senate.

“We give back to availability of Italian citizens and’work of such great value“he commentedGiuli. “When we saw from Sotheby’s This magnificent painting we all started talking very slowly”, “a climate of respect was created for something that has its own uniqueness“, continued the Minister of Culture, recalling the phases ofacquisition of the work at the Sotheby’s auction house in New York In the February 2026.

“A work that summarizes what our program can be like Ministry of Culture: we want this painting to represent our way of living there culture as a civil missionor to show that for a picture like this great value – Also economicpaid with i taxpayers’ money who will receive in exchange a stronger heritage also from the point of view of cultural value of the works available – there is no fixed residence. We want them works are mobilized to wake them up latent energies of places too often ignored by the general public, broaden the scope as much as possible ability to access culture and beauty from our fellow citizens.”

Characteristics and history of the work

The little one Tavola opistographa (20.3 14.9 1 cm), datable around 1465presents sul rectum the cousin Antonelli’s interpretation of Ecce Homo and on the reverse a Penitent Saint Jerome in a Northern European landscape. It is about theunique example of this iconography remained until today private hands. Rediscovered by Federico Zeri In the 1981the work had belonged to Wildenstein collection in New York and was probably preserved in Spain at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Exhibition times and dates

L’exposure will be open to the public dal Monday to Fridayfrom 10am to 8pm, until April 7con extraordinary openings already scheduled for Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th March and for the 4, 5 and 6 April (10-18).