Guided tour of the Ghigi-Pagnani Collection Archive

The Ghigi-Pagnani collection was assembled in Ravenna, driven by the passion and artistic sensibility of Raffaella Ghigi (born February 18, 1920, in Cividate al Piano, Bergamo; died May 10, 1965, in Santarcangelo di Romagna) and her husband Roberto Pagnani (born December 29, 1914, in Ravenna; died May 8, 1965, in Santarcangelo di Romagna). It represents a fascinating example of a private art collection developed between 1955 and 1965 through direct engagement with the various artistic languages—such as French and Italian *Informel* and American Action Painting—that the post-war avant-garde movements were spreading across Europe and the world.
In the early 1950s, Roberto Pagnani formed a close friendship with art critic and historian Alberto Martini (a student of Roberto Longhi). Martini introduced him to the most interesting artists of the time and to the Bolognese critic Francesco Arcangeli, with whom Pagnani would share a deep friendship and mutual esteem.
In 1955, R. Pagnani and R. Ghigi commissioned architect Luciano Galassi to build a villa designed to house significant artworks.
The architect devised a recessed space between the walls and ceilings to accommodate small hooks for picture-hanging chains—a method common in galleries at the time. This design eliminated the need for nails, which were unsightly, damaging, and impractical in the home of a collector who frequently rearranged the artworks.
The largest room was constructed without central pillars or columns to ensure an unobstructed view of the paintings.
The villa features a blend of American and Mediterranean styles, with a roof of red tiles and *coppi* (curved roof tiles) that evoke classical Roman architecture. The collection draws its inspiration from research into *Art Informel* and Abstract Expressionism—characterized by bold colors and gestures (Appel, Mathieu, Moreni, Vedova, etc.)—while engaging in an “aniconic-iconic” dialogue with Lombard Existentialism (Banchieri, Cazzaniga, Vaglieri, etc.), a movement dominated by darker, more introspective moods and palettes. It culminates in a third phase with “Antiprocess” art (Crippa, Ferrò, Harloff, Lebel, Quentin, etc.), a movement critical of abstract asceticism and the waning Surrealist tradition.
The collection is further enriched and rounded out by works representing other movements, such as Spatialism and Nuclear Art.
Between 1955 and 1965, the home served as a hub and gathering place for significant cultural circles; in the process, it amassed a high-quality archive of correspondence and photographs documenting the artists and intellectuals who frequented the house—figures such as the painter Ben Shahn, the poet Raffaele Carrieri, and the writer Elisabeth Mann Borgese, among many others.
The Ghigi-Pagnani collection is currently curated by the son, Giorgio, and the grandson, Roberto (a painter), who have enriched it with fine works by contemporary artists.