From the sharp word to the pointed pencil, satire has always been one of the most effective tools to depict society, unmask its hypocrisies, and offer a critical, yet playful, view on power, culture, and customs.

The exhibition “Satire in Lecco”, which will be set up from September 6 to 21, 2025 (inauguration on September 5, at 6 pm) in the charming setting of the Viscontea Tower, aims to showcase the richness and variety of this language through the works and voices of ten personalities from Lecco who, in different eras and with different means, have turned satire into a form of art and thought.

The protagonists? Antonio Ghislanzoni (1824–1893), librettist and poet, Mario Cereghini (1903–1976), architect, Angelo Baldo Gattinoni (1919–1996) graphic designer and caricaturist, painter Giancarlo Vitali (1929–2018), illustrator Alfredo Chiappori (1943–2022), Germano Campione (1940) director of “El Lecch Gaina”, writer Andrea Vitali (1956), actor Antonio Albanese (1964), caricaturist Claudia Chinaglia (1965), journalist and illustrator Paolo Cagnotto (1956).

The exhibition is divided into a series of thematic panels by author, original vintage materials, graphic reproductions, and a video installation that guides the visitor on a journey through time, between words, signs, and images, reconstructing the relationship between the city of Lecco and its satirical vein, sometimes hidden but always present.

Promoted by the magazine “Immagine Valsassina” Valsassina and the University of the Third Age with the support of the Municipality and the Province of Lecco and with the contribution of various local entities (Confindustria Lecco and Sondrio, Officina della Stampa, Meeting Project, Carozzi Valsassina, Consorzio Vini IGT Terre Lariane), the exhibition is accompanied by a digital catalog curated by Quadrifolium Group Srl, distributed online and available for free download via QR code on the exhibition panels and printed communication.

The introductory texts are written by Dr. Barbara Cattaneo and the Councilor for Culture and Social Cohesion of the Municipality of Lecco, Simona Piazza, while the video production is curated by Andrea Gianviti.

“Satire in Lecco”, an exhibition born with the aim of highlighting the most representative satirical personalities of the region, is an opportunity to rediscover another critical and creative soul of our city and to smile, with intelligence and self-irony, through the free thinking of an art that, even today, has deep roots and great vitality.

THE AUTHORS

Antonio Ghislanzoni (1824–1893), renowned librettist of Donizetti's Don Pasquale and especially Verdi's Aida, as well as a key figure in the Milanese Scapigliatura, was also the author of satirical tales and sharp criticisms of the bourgeoisie and social conventions of the 19th century.

Mario Cereghini (1903–1976), refined architect and ironic intellectual, expressed his worldview through articles and writings full of humor and civil intelligence.

Angelo Baldo Gattinoni (1919-1996), with his caricatures and satirical graphics, was able to provide a sharp and entertaining glimpse of city life and its protagonists.

Giancarlo Vitali (1929–2018), beloved painter, was able to incorporate a subtle visual humor, often grotesque, into his paintings and engravings, revealing a sensitivity to the tragicomic side of existence.

Alfredo Chiappori (1943–2022), one of the most renowned Italian illustrators, published for Linus and Panorama, signing memorable and irreverent illustrations that combine social critique and visual power, with a style that has become iconic.