Artist Biography

STONE AS AN ARK OF WISDOM
ARCANA and the New Humanism at the Museum Complex of the Oliva Counts’ Castle
Piandimeleto (PU) – There is a material that, more than any other, endures through time without losing its identity. It is stone. It holds the memory of civilizations, narrates the landscape, preserves human labor, and stands as a testament to our capacity to build beauty. It is the material of coherence: it remains faithful to its own nature while accompanying the path of history, reminding us of who we are and suggesting the direction in which we wish to go.
From this vision emerges “ARCANA – The Lion of the New Horizon,” the new international exhibition by sculptor Andrea da Montefeltro, which opened on Friday, July 10 at 6:30 PM in the halls of the Museum Complex of the Oliva Counts’ Castle in Piandimeleto, one of the most significant architectural landmarks in the Montefeltro region.
The exhibition is officially part of the national itinerary for the 800th Anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, under the artistic direction of Annalisa Di Maria, an internationally renowned scholar, one of the leading experts on Leonardo da Vinci and Renaissance culture, and an authoritative voice in Neoplatonic studies. The event has received the high patronage of the Regione Marche. Organized by the Municipality of Piandimeleto with the support of the UNESCO Club of Florence, the exhibition underscores its cultural relevance and international scope. The opening ceremony took place in the presence of Mayor Pasquale Soru, Deputy Mayor Annita Lazzarini, Regional Councilor Nicolò Pierini, and civil and institutional authorities. The choice of the Museum Complex of the Oliva Counts’ Castle is not merely scenographic, but profoundly symbolic. For over five centuries, this estate has dominated the Foglia Valley, nestled between the Massa Trabaria and the Montefeltro a territory that, during the Renaissance, was a vibrant crossroads of ideas, art, and thought. Here, the Oliva family established a humanistic court in dialogue with Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro, and the great protagonists of Italian culture, weaving ties with the Malatesta, the Gonzaga, and the Medici of Florence. It was a place where beauty was an instrument of knowledge, and the dialogue between disciplines fueled a new vision of humanity.
It is precisely from this heritage that ARCANA takes shape: an exhibition project that reconnects the thread between the Renaissance and our time, proposing a New Humanism founded on memory, responsibility, and the centrality of the individual. Within this journey fits the artistic research of Andrea da Montefeltro, winner of the International Peace Prize in Art, an artist who has transformed stone into a language capable of speaking beyond the boundaries of matter. His works do not seem to be carved; they seem to emerge from the mountain, as if the form were already present within the stone and the artist were simply revealing its essence. In his hands, the ancient sandstone of the Montefeltro becomes light, balance, and thought. Solidity dialogues with emptiness, matter with spirit, memory with the future. Stone becomes an ark of wisdom, guardian of the identity of places and communities, a living archive of knowledge, and a symbol of the coherence that allows a civilization to evolve without losing its roots.
This is the strength of Andrea da Montefeltro’s work: reminding us that the future is not born from the erasure of memory, but from the ability to recognize it, safeguard it, and transform it into a new opportunity for dialogue. His sculptures evoke sacred geometries, universal archetypes, and the great wisdom traditions, offering the visitor a contemplative experience in which art, philosophy, and spirituality once again speak a common language. Precisely for this reason, ARCANA asserts a precise cultural stance. In an era when references to Neoplatonism are sometimes reduced to decorative motifs or communication formulas, this exhibition reaffirms its authentic nature. Neoplatonic thought is not a repertoire of symbols used to confer an aura of mystery; it is one of the highest philosophical elaborations of Western civilization, capable of bringing art, science, spirituality, and the search for truth into dialogue. Its legacy has inspired generations of thinkers, artists, and humanists, crossing centuries of conflicts, censorship, and persecutions that testify to the power of ideas. Invoking this tradition today means assuming a cultural responsibility: studying it, understanding it, and respecting it. ARCANA embraces this responsibility, restoring symbolism to its original role: not a decorative artifice, but the language through which the visible refers to the invisible, matter to spirit, and the work of art becomes an instrument of knowledge.
It is no coincidence that the project has found the support of the UNESCO Club of Florence, always committed to promoting culture as an instrument of peace, cooperation, and dialogue among peoples. These same values run through the artist’s entire research, for whom sculpture becomes an occasion for encounter, mutual understanding, and responsibility toward the material and immaterial heritage of humanity. The exhibition path also includes a section dedicated to the eighth centenary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, featuring works inspired by the universal values of peace, fraternity, simplicity, and harmony with Creation, reaffirming the bond between humanity, nature, and spirituality. ARCANA – The Lion of the New Horizon is much more than an exhibition. It is a reflection on our time and the meaning of cultural identity. Through stone, Andrea da Montefeltro reminds us that every civilization builds its future only if it remains true to the values that generated its history. For almost three months, the Museum Complex of the Oliva Counts’ Castle will thus return to its original vocation: to be a place where art, thought, and beauty continue to generate new horizons and new dialogues between cultures.
INFORMATION
ARCANA – The Lion of the New Horizon International Exhibition by Andrea da Montefeltro Artistic Direction: Annalisa Di Maria Museum Complex of the Oliva Counts’ Castle – Piandimeleto (PU)
Opening Friday, July 10 – 6:30 PM
Exhibition Dates July 10 – September 30 Daily: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Guided tours with the artist available by appointment.