Fabriano, Threshold of the World – An international exhibition that revives the message of Saint Francis through matter and artistic gesture.

In the medieval heart of Italy, where stones preserve centuries of memory and human presence, a project that speaks to the world comes to life. ARCANA – The Lion of the New Horizon, the sculpture-exhibition by Andrea da Montefeltro, transforms the austere and solemn Palazzo del Podestà in Fabriano into a place of revelation: an international crossroads of art, spirituality, and craftsmanship. This exhibition is among the very first international events linked to the celebrations marking the 800th anniversary of the death of Saint Francis of Assisi, taking on the significance of a cultural and spiritual act that transcends languages and borders.
The more than 50 works on display speak a language that is both ancient and contemporary. Stone, shaped through essential gestures, opens itself to sacred geometries, alchemical signs, and symbols that evoke a dialogue between heaven and earth, between science and mystery. The sculptures of Andrea da Montefeltro—recipient of the World Peace Award in Art—are not mere objects: they are presences that invite contemplation, reflection, and active silence. In them, matter becomes memory and a tool for exploring the meaning of collective human experience.

The figure of Saint Francis of Assisi represents a spiritual and cultural heritage that has crossed continents and centuries. His testimony of simplicity, care for creation, and service to others resonates today with renewed urgency in a world seeking balance and meaning. ARCANA brings this message into a contemporary dimension: the exhibition invites international audiences to rediscover the strength of a way of life that continues to inspire communities, institutions, and civic movements across the globe.

Hosting an international exhibition in one of the most significant sites of Italian medieval history means staging a dialogue between architecture, memory, and the present. The Palazzo del Podestà, with its austere presence and long history of civic authority and communal life, offers a space of great symbolic intensity: here, stone sculpture finds a natural home, where the past is not merely a backdrop but an active interlocutor. Fabriano—city of paper and artisanal mastery—confirms itself as a living laboratory capable of enhancing both tangible and intangible heritage through projects that weave together local roots and international vision.