Return to the Island:
the Works of Franco Mauro Franchi on Display in Piombino
A Tribute to Franco Mauro Franchi
The city of Piombino pays tribute to the work and memory of Franco Mauro Franchi, the Livorno-born sculptor who passed away in November 2024, with the exhibition Return to the Island, curated by Antonio Natali and Filippo Lotti.
The exhibition opens with eleven large-scale sculptures already installed throughout the historic center, in symbolic locations such as the Rivellino and Piazza Verdi, and continues from July 25 to September 30 at the Castello di Piombino, where a new exhibition path features works in bronze, marble, fiberglass, and terracotta, along with a selection of the artist’s most recent paintings.
The project, promoted by the Municipality in collaboration with Elianto and FuoriLuogo – Servizi per l’Arte, stands as one of the most significant cultural events of summer 2025.
It is a heartfelt tribute that spans generations and landscapes, and through the evocative power of the works, invites citizens and visitors to experience an authentic encounter with art, memory, and the identity of the territory.
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The Island Between Memory, Body, and Myth
The title Return to the Island encapsulates the full symbolic, poetic, and biographical power of the exhibition. For Franco Mauro Franchi, the island is not merely a geographic location, but a space of the soul — a root, a founding myth. His opulent, archaic female figures embody the earth mother, primal fertility, and the spirituality of a timeless humanity.
The sculptures and paintings on display evoke a powerful and austere imaginary world, made of essential forms and generous bodies, as described by art historian Antonio Natali.
The island thus becomes both a refuge and a return — an echo of Franchi’s deep connection to the Tuscan landscape and the archipelago facing Piombino.
Enriching the exhibition are a documentary created by the artist’s daughter, Irene Franchi, and a catalogue featuring a critical essay by Natali — completing a tribute to an artist who transformed personal memory into a universal language.
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