On 15 June 2021, at 6:30 pm, the exhibition The Centenary Triptych. Leonardo 1919, Raphael 1920, Dante 1921 was presented at Villa Farnesina in Rome, opening a journey devoted to the cultural, artistic and aesthetic climate that characterised Italy in the years immediately after the First World War.

Curated by Roberto Antonelli, Virginia Lapenta and Guicciardo Sassoli de’ Bianchi Strozzi, the exhibition explored the significance of the celebrations dedicated to three great figures of Italian culture: Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Dante Alighieri, celebrated in 1919, 1920 and 1921 respectively.

Open to the public from 16 June 2021 to 13 January 2022, the exhibition examined how these anniversaries contributed to the construction of a new cultural imagination in the period immediately following the First World War. The celebrations were not merely commemorative occasions: they became moments of dialogue between past and modernity, influencing artistic production, graphic art, publishing, design and architecture.