On Wednesday 18 March 2026, at 21:00, the Sala della Fondazione Gottarelli (via Caterina Sforza 13) will host a meeting dedicated to one of the most fascinating and discussed topics in medieval history: the presence of the Order of the Templars in our territory.
The event will feature the researcher and essayist Marco Pelliconi, who will lead the audience in a conversation entitled: "The Knights Templar in Emilia-Romagna and Imola".
The meeting aims to shed light, with historical and documentary rigor, on the traces left by the "warrior monks" in the region, with a specific focus on the city of Imola. During the evening, the settlements, mansions and the economic and spiritual influence that the Order exercised on the Imola territory before its dramatic suppression at the beginning of the fourteenth century will be analyzed.
The speaker
Marco Pelliconi, an expert in medieval history, will guide us on a historical journey that reveals the secrets and traces left by the Knights Templar in our territory. A profound connoisseur of local history, he will help to distinguish between historical reality and legend, revealing the places that still bear witness to the passage of the Templars along the Via Emilia.
Admission is free subject to availability.

A tribute to the Patron Saint of Italy
On Wednesday 20 May 2026 at 21:00, the Gottarelli Foundation celebrates the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi with an evening dedicated to the iconography of Italy's most beloved saint.
Event Details
Date: Wednesday 20 May 2026 Time: 9:00 pm Location: Sala Fondazione Gottarelli, Via C. Sforza 13 Imola
Program
Conversation in images with Matteo Bacci entitled "St. Francis: Iconography of the Patron Saint of Italy in the Eighth Centenary of his Death".
A fascinating journey through centuries of Italian sacred art, from medieval painting to the Renaissance, up to contemporary representations of the Poverello of Assisi. We will discover how artists from all ages have interpreted the figure of St. Francis, his iconographic symbols and the deep link between Franciscan spirituality and Italian art.
The speaker
Matteo Bacci, an expert in sacred iconography and history of religious art, will guide us in the analysis of the most significant works dedicated to St. Francis, revealing symbols, attributes and artistic traditions linked to the saint.
A historic anniversary
2026 marks the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi (1226-2026), a unique opportunity to reflect on the spiritual and cultural legacy of the patron saint of Italy and his influence on Italian art and culture.
Free admission