Mario Lanfranchi Foundation
The Foundation was established at the behest of Maestro Mario Lanfranchi with the goal of promoting cultural and artistic events that have the female figure as the core promoter of these activities.
The Foundation aims to improve the knowledge of its founder, Mario Lanfranchi, through the preservation and dissemination of his works, his passions, and the creation of multimedia paths and guided tours of Villa Lanfranchi.
Headquarters of the Foundation is the Villa, declared by the Regional Directorate for Cultural and Landscape Heritage for Emilia Romagna to be of particularly important interest pursuant to Art. 10 paragraph 3 lett. a and 13 paragraph 1 d. lgs. 42/2004.
It is a cultural asset, conceived not only as a value to be preserved and transmitted, as a tourist attraction, but as an identity resource for the entire community and it’s cohesion. In intent, it is production of shared meanings, capable also of generating economy.
First Chair of the Board of Directors Lawyer Lara Canuti, Artistic Director Dr. Valeria Ottolenghi, both appointed by Maestro Lanfranchi.
Shortly after the Foundation was established, the Emilia Romagna Region, at the end of its first recognition campaign, included Villa Lanfranchi among the “Homes and Studios of Illustrious People” and awarded it the relative, prestigious label.
A truly important, precious recognition that brings together different realities such as the Magnani-Rocca Foundation, the birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi, Arturo Toscanini and the Bertolucci family, with the possibility of imagining new stimulating cultural tourism synergies in the area.
Contribution Emilia Romagna Region
The project for the enhancement of our House of Illustre, which benefited from a contribution of € 6100.00 from the Emilia Romagna Region, ended on 31.12.2023.
The project involved the production of informative material and the reprinting, updated, of the book on Mario Lanfranchi (A director for all seasons).
A project was also devised, documented by a map of the area, connecting the park of Villa Magnani Rocca with the Italian-style garden of Villa Lanfranchi, which is being
presentation to schools in the area and usable for all as a quality guided tourist route.
The process of studying, reorganising, cataloguing and digitising some of the Foundation’s material, particularly photographs, has begun.
Lastly, prints were made of Luca Gilli’s photographic works concerning the villa, for the future realisation of exhibitions dedicated to Maestro Lanfranchi.
The Villa’s precious Italian garden is cared for by the group FRIENDS OF MARIO’S GARDEN who, with their concrete commitment, occasionally dedicate themselves to minor weeding and care work. Practical moments of meeting and sharing in which stories and anecdotes about the Maestro are interwoven with pleasant digressions of art and nature that the garden inspires.