Palazzo Lignana di Gattinara

Palazzo Lignana di Gattinara, in Rivalta Bormida, is home to the Elisabeth de Rothschild Foundation. It stands at the end of Contrada Lunga, now Via Giuseppe Baretti. The building, with its simple and elegant façade, is a typical example of a noble residence in the Alto Monferrato area, built in the late Gothic style with 17th-century modifications, as evidenced by the inscriptions in the loggia. From the 17th-century portal, passing through the walnut door, you enter the Loggia degli Esposti (16th-17th century), so named because it contains the 16th-century stone aedicule that housed the foundling wheel, originally located at the monastery of San Teobaldo in Asti. The loggia overlooks a small, charming Italian garden, redesigned based on an 18th-century cadastral map. Of particular interest are the frescoed staircase (18th century) and the marquis' chapel, which houses paintings and family objects (18th and 19th centuries). "Pride and Prejudice" Two Thousand Years of Jewish History Through Historical Sources Introduction to the Exhibition The historical exhibition "Pride and Prejudice" has been permanently located at the sixteenth-century Palazzo Lignana in Gattinara since April 2017. Through precious and rare historical documents, the exhibition traces the last two thousand years of Jewish history, from the ancient Kingdom of Judea to the modern State of Israel. Six thematic sections are covered, which narrate the stages that have marked the history of the Jewish people in the Diaspora. The aim is to provide a significant contribution to the study of Jewish history as well as a tool for better knowledge and understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the current situation, and the hoped-for future opportunities for peace. "Pride and Prejudice" is aimed at students, teachers, journalists, and anyone who wishes to delve deeper into the topics covered, with specific training courses. The historical material has been grouped into six thematic sections: 1. From the origins to the late Middle Ages (Roman, Paleo-Aramaic, Arabic coinage, and various late medieval documents) 2. The Counter-Reformation and Christian anti-Judaism (genesis of anti-Judaism; anti-Jewish papal bulls) 3. Emancipation (Albertine Statute and Jewish integration into Italian society at the end of the 19th century) 4. Anti-Semitic propaganda during Fascism (iconography) 5. The implementation and effects of the racial laws. The Holocaust 6. The State of Israel (from the Mandate of Palestine to the State of Israel, retracing the main historical phases: from the legal prerequisites of the Mandate to the Arab-Israeli wars, through the various alyot, the Jewish National Fund, land acquisitions, and finally considerations on the peace process). The exhibition, sponsored by the UCEI (Union of Italian Jewish Communities) and the Cultural Office of the Embassy of Israel, was inaugurated in Palermo at Palazzo Alliata di Villafranca in June 2015 - in the presence of the President of the Sicilian Region - and subsequently, in November 2016, held at the Jewish Community of Casale Monferrato. With the further prestigious patronage of the Treccani Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia, in November 2016 "Pride and Prejudice" was presented in Rome, at the headquarters of the Italian Encyclopedia Institute in Palazzo Mattei in Paganica, by Professor Anna Foa and Dr. Roberta Ruth Cerruto, in the presence of President Massimo Bray, former Minister of Culture and the Cultural Delegation of the Israeli Embassy. Among the new acquisitions, two highly prized paintings will be on display: the Martyrdom of Saint Agatha by Paolo de Matteis (1662-1728), one of the most representative exponents of the Baroque period in the Kingdom of Naples, and the Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian by Francesco Albani (1578-1660), a pupil, along with Domenichino and Guido Reni, in the Bolognese workshop of the late-Mannerist Flemish master Denijs Calvaert (Dionysius the Flemish). Both paintings come from the Franchetti de Rothschild private collection. The coral branch of Concordia, a precious apotropaic gift from Adolphe von Rothschild (Neapolitan branch) to his brother-in-law Ferdinand on the occasion of his wedding to his English cousin Eveline in 1865, also comes from the Franchetti de Rothschild collection. This Trapani-made jewel, with a very curious history, is currently being restored and will soon be displayed in the marquis' chapel next to the precious Fabergé, a gift from the musician Alberto Franchetti to his daughter Maria. The Palace is part of the Castelli Aperti (Open Castles) program. Visits are available daily by reservation (minimum two people - maximum six). It is recommended to book at least two days in advance.