Balgarianovinite.com The exhibition Giro d’Italia. A Brief History of Italy on Two Wheels was opened on Tuesday at the Kvadrat 500 National Gallery days before the start of the 109th edition of the race. The project is implemented under the patronage of the Italian Embassy in Bulgaria and is organised jointly with the National Gallery and the Italian Cultural Institute in Sofia.
Among those attending the opening were caretaker Tourism Minister Irena Georgieva, caretaker Sports Minister Dimitar Iliev, Italian Ambassador to Bulgaria Marcello Apicella, National Gallery Director Aneliya Nikolaeva and representatives of institutions.
The exhibition is curated by Dominique Lora, Stefania Baldinotti, Maurizio Presutti.
“Such types of exhibitions, which are somewhat removed from the traditional image of fine art, place the National Gallery within more interesting and broader cultural trajectories, which can emerge from the combination of different fields of our human culture,” said Nikolaeva, who opened the exhibition. She expressed her satisfaction that the gallery is participating as an equal partner in the events related to Giro d’Italia.
The bicycle means much more than movement – it represents connectivity and a link between cultures, an exchange of values, and all of this is also tourism, said the Tourism Minister. She congratulated the organisers and expressed confidence that Giro d’Italia will make Bulgaria more attractive, better known and more welcoming as a tourist destination.
“Such exhibitions and initiatives preserve history, take us back in time and show us that life does not begin with us here and now,” said the Sports Minister. He described the Grande Partenza as an extremely important event for society.
The exhibition coordinator Alessia Autuori spoke on behalf of curator Dominique Lora: “The project traces the spread and development of the bicycle from the late 1940s to the present day – both as a means of transport and an artistic object, as well as a symbol of individual and collective revival characteristic of Italy,” she said.
“This exhibition is not merely a narrative about the development of a means of transport, but presents part of Italy’s social, economic and cultural history,” said Italian Cultural Institute Director Maria Mazza. According to her, the bicycle has been a symbol of revival, freedom and hope, and the start of Giro d’Italia from Bulgaria represents a symbolic bridge between the two cultures.
“Life is like riding a bicycle – to keep your balance, you must keep moving,” said National Gallery curator Boryana Valchanova, who presented the exhibition. She explained that the emblematic pink colour in the exhibition design originates from the distinctive pink paper of the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, which organised the first edition of the race. This is also the origin of the tradition for the leader in the general classification to be awarded a pink jersey.
At the National Gallery, works by contemporary Italian artists such as Dario Ghibaudo, Francesca Pompei, Gaia Scaramella, Corrado Zeni, Marcovinicio, and Natino Chirico are on display. The exhibition also includes cinematic footage from the Mimo Catarinich Foundation in Rome, vintage posters from the Salce Collection Museum and ethnographic photographs from the Palumbo archive at the Sigismondo Castromediano Museum in Lecce. The exhibition can be visited until July 5.
In 2026, Bulgaria will host the Grande Partenza (the Grand Start) of the 109th edition of Giro d’Italia. The route in the country is divided into three stages in the period May 8 – May 10 – Nessebar – Burgas (May 8), Burgas – Veliko Tarnovo (May 9) and Plovdiv – Sofia (May 10). Exhibition “Giro d’Italia. A Brief History of Italy on Two Wheels” Opens at National Gallery 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-05-05 18:16:26 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law