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Amanita

The Giorgio Franchetti Collection

Fondazione Iris
Via Belvedere, 19, 01030 Bassano in Teverina VT
June 7, 2026 – July 26, 2026
Open by appointment: Book here

GFC
GFC
Luigi Ontani, Giorgio Franchetti Barone. Le tre età, 1982, Maschera intagliata in legno pule dipinto, 29.5 x 21.5 x 12 cm; 11 5/8 × 8 1/2 × 4 3/4 in
GFC
Cy Twombly, White Rabbit, 1966, Graphite on paper, 60 x 40 cm; 23 5/8 × 15 3/4 in
GFC
GFC
Tano Festa, Albinoni, 1962, Enamel and metallic pigment on wood, 120 x 145 x 6 cm; 47 1/4 × 57 1/8 × 2 3/8 in
GFC
GFC
Piero Manzoni, Achrome. Batuffoli di cotone, 1961, Wads of cotton wool, 31 x 38 cm; 12 1/4 × 15 in
GFC
GFC
Tano Festa, La Porta Rossa, 1962, Acrylic on wood, 200 x 100 x 4 cm; 78 3/4 × 39 3/8 × 1 5/8 in
GFC
Francesco Lo Savio, Metallo Nero Opaco Uniforme, 1960, Painted metal, 50 x 101 x 12 cm; 19 3/4 × 39 3/4 × 4 3/4 in
GFC
GFC
Mario Schifano, Roma, 1961, enamel on paper mounted on canvas, 186 x 165 x 7 cm, 73 1/4 × 65 × 2 3/4 in
GFC
GFC
Alighiero Boetti, Mettere a Mondo il Mondo a Kabul Afghanistan, 1983, Embroidery on fabric, 174.5 x 117 x 6 cm; 68 3/4 × 46 × 2 3/8 in
GFC
GFC
Tano Festa, Specchio, 1963, Silver lacquer on wooden panel, 113x 145 x 4 cm; 44 1/2 × 57 1/8 × 1 5/8 in
GFC
GFC
Joseph Kosuth, One and three hammer, 1965, object, photograph, and dictionary definition of ‘object’, 141 x 65 x 9.5 cm; 55 1/2 × 25 5/8 × 3 3/4 in
GFC
GFC
Cy Twombly, Giorgio Franchetti, 1961, Graphite, colored pencil and paint on canvas, 150 x 124.5 x 2 cm; 59 × 49 × 3/4 in
GFC
GFC
Tatia Franchetti, Giorgio Franchetti, 1966, Oil on wood, 54 x 43 cm; 21 1/4 × 16 7/8 in
GFC
GFC
Sandro Chia, A Giorgio, Sandro, 1982, Oil on canvas, 175 x 156 cm; 68 7/8 × 61 3/8 in
GFC
GFC
Pino Pascali, Trofeo di Caccia, 1966, white canvas stretched on a wooden frame, 176 (base diameter) x 180 cm; 69 1/4 in (base diameter) × 70 7/8 in
GFC
Mario Ceroli, Mister Muscolo, 1964, Pine board sculpture, 191 x 128 x 20 cm; 75 1/8 × 50 3/8 × 7 7/8 in

Overview

In 1975, under the guidance of Giorgio Franchetti, Cy Twombly acquired a 17th-century property in Bassano in Teverina. Over the following three years, they restored the building, transforming it into a home and studio where Cy would spend his summers producing some of the most significant works of his career.

Giorgio devoted himself to various endeavors, always faithfully guided by his own impulses — not least of these was his appetite for art. He began collecting in 1938, acquiring a small painting by de Chirico. At the time, his interests were largely shaped by his grandfather's collection of Old Masters; his own sensibility had yet to fully form. After the war, his encounter with Plinio de Martis proved decisive, deepening his involvement in the contemporary arts. Giorgio described Plinio as "the greatest pilot" he had ever met; through him, he collected, met, and befriended many of the artists of his time.

Fifty years after the building's original acquisition, Fondazione Iris is honored to present a selection from Giorgio Franchetti's collection, featuring works by many of the artists who accompanied him throughout his life. It is a privilege to exhibit a portion of Giorgio's collection in a building that shares his legacy.

The exhibition comprises a selection of works by Tano Festa, Joseph Kosuth, Francesco Lo Savio, Sandro Chia, Franco Angeli, Pino Pascali, Mario Schifano, Piero Manzoni, Luigi Ontani, Alighiero Boetti, Tatia Franchetti, and Cy Twombly. Our thanks to Gaia, Marion, Carlo, and Pietro Arco Franchetti for their contributions to the exhibition, and to Flaminia Allvin, Deborah McCauley, and Fabrizio Andreoli for their work on the archive.