Great public success for the “Madonne Lucane” exhibition, admired by almost six thousand Italian and foreign visitors, set up from 20 December 2023 to 6 January 2024 in the rooms of the evocative Ducal Palace Malvinni Malvezzi in Matera (Italy) and created with the patronage and collaboration of the Region Basilicata, the Province and Municipality of Matera, the APT Tourist Promotion Company of Basilicata and the Matera – Basilicata 2019 Foundation.
Michele Miglionico, with this exhibition, explored the many facets of the sacredness of popular tradition, underlining the powerful symbolic value and simultaneously celebrating Italian high fashion and the savoir-faire that distinguishes it. His work has made it possible to tell the cultural, artistic and anthropological heritage of Basilicata, highlighting the elements of Lucanian customs, craftsmanship and sacredness as an expression of Catholicism, with its rites and customs.
The exhibition itinerary was divided into seven sections, each dedicated to venerated Madonnas and women in procession. Through 35 Haute Couture outfits, the designer paid homage to the Marian cult in Basilicata, taking inspiration from sacred figures such as the Black Madonna of Viggiano and the Madonna della Bruna, patron saint of Matera. The exhibition itinerary also touched on the participation of women in the processions, with black dresses and rosaries in their hands, following the popular tradition of the region,
This exhibition, with its return to the City of Stones, has symbolically brought the entire narrative back to the starting point, telling a story of composed and conscious femininity, inspired by a historical period of great turmoil and difficulty experienced in Southern Italy in the post-war period.
The exhibition was organized by the APS Officina della Cultura Association in collaboration with the ancient “I Pastori della Bruna” Confraternity of Matera, a corporation that has historical roots dating back to 1697. We thank the “I Pastori della Bruna” Confraternity of Matera in the person of the Prior Prof. Emanuele Calculli for the support of this project which was able to combine tradition, art and fashion in a single significant event.
The artistic photo was taken by photographer Checco De Tullio.