GIRO D’ITALIA. A Brief History of Italy on Two Wheels

Kvadrat 500
Patronage: Italian Embassy in Bulgaria.
Organization: Alessia Autuori, National Gallery, Sofia, and the Italian Cultural Institute, Sofia.
Curated by: Dominique Lora, Stefania Baldinotti, Maurizio Presutti.
In collaboration with: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic; Institute for the Intangible Heritage, Rome; MUCIV, Rome; Mimmo Cattarinich Foundation, Rome; Municipality of Gubbio; National Museum of the Salce Collection; Regional Directorate of National Museums of Veneto; Weber & Weber Modern and Contemporary Art, Turin.
On the occasion of the arrival of the 2026 Giro d’Italia in Bulgaria (the competition will start from Nessebar on the Black Sea on 8 May and finish in Sofia on 10 May, the Italian Embassy in Bulgaria and the Italian Cultural Institute in Sofia are pleased to present the exhibition GIRO D’ITALIA: A Brief History of Italy on Two Wheels, which will be held at the National Gallery / Kvadrat 500 in Sofia.
The bicycle has become part of our daily lives. We are accustomed to using it in various contexts and occasions, such as commuting to work, for sports, or simply for outdoor entertainment. Since the late 19th century, the bicycle has become a true inspiration, so much so that it has been featured prominently in contemporary art works and installations, film productions, as well as in scientific research on the territory and its ethnography. As an object and a means of transport, it has been – and still is – a rich subject for artists who celebrate its dynamism and modernity, generating representations that range from the Futurism of Boccioni, Dottori, and Depero, through the Pop Art of Mario Schifano, all the way to the present. For this special occasion, we are pleased to present to the Bulgarian public a selection of works by contemporary Italian masters, including Dario Ghibaudo, Francesca Pompei, Gaia Scaramella, Corrado Zeni, Marcovinicio, and Natino Chirico.
The exhibition will also feature cinematographic stills from the Mimmo Cattarinich Foundation in Rome, vintage posters from the Salce Collection Museum (courtesy of the Italian Ministry of Culture), and ethnographic photographs from the Palumbo Archive from the Sigismondo Castromediano Museum in Lecce.
The exhibition depicts an Italy on two wheels, from the late 1940s to the present day, illustrating the diffusion and development of the bicycle as a means of transportation, but above all as a symbol of individual and collective rebirth, characteristic of our country.
Media partner: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency.