San Giorgio. Storie , immagini e identità dall’Oriente a Genova

The first major exhibition dedicated to San Giorgio, one of the symbols of Genoa. At the Palazzo Reale from 31 October 2025 to 1 March 2026

It will be the first major exhibition dedicated to San Giorgio, one of the symbols of Genoa throughout the world. At the National Museums of Genoa, the Palazzo Reale and the Teatro del Falcone, from 31 October 2025 to 1 March 2026, a major exhibition will narrate the story and legend of the holy knight, patron saint of Genoa.

Who is San Giorgio for the Genoese?

The cult of San Giorgio in the Middle Ages embodied the values of chivalry and enjoyed immense popularity. In Genoa the Middle Ages are still alive in the memory of the city: the spread of his devotion dates back to the time of the Christian Crusades in the Holy Land, when in Antioch in 1098, the Crusaders and the English were aided by the Genoese and conquered the city, which was considered impregnable. Legend has it that San Giorgio appeared in a miraculous apparition, accompanied by magnificent celestial creatures and numerous flags with red crosses on a white field. Even today these appear in the flag of Genoa and San Giorgio is one of the four patron saints of Genoa together with San Lorenzo, San Giovanni Battista and San Bernardo.

La mostra

The exhibition

The exhibition at the Teatro del falcone presents San Giorgio through religious images, on the altars of the city’s main churches, and through official documents, works of art and objects linked to the city’s history since the Middle Ages. Several goldsmith works, from beautiful collections and museums, will form a separate section, while the conclusion of the exhibition will once again be dedicated to Genoa and the significant and precious traces that still today testify to its connection with San Giorgio. Among the paintings on display are works by Cosmè Tura and Ercole de’ Roberti (Venice, Cini Foundation), Vittore Carpaccio (Venice, Abbey of San Giorgio Maggiore), Andrea Mantegna (Venice, Gallerie dell’Accademia), the 15th-century Brescian painter (Brescia, Brescia Museums Foundation, Tosio-Martinengo Art Gallery) and Luchino da Milano (Palazzo San Giorgio, Genoa).

https://palazzorealegenova.cultura.gov.it/