Diego Rivera at Capitoline Museums, “Fashion in the Spotlight: 1955–1975” at Centrale Montemartini, Vermeer’s “Woman in Blue Reading a Letter” at Palazzo Barberini, “Vitality of Italian Architecture 1946–2026” at MAXXI, Kandinsky at Palazzo Bonaparte, “Rome in Coins” at Museo Nazionale Romano, Colosseum ArcheoPark and VIVE, and more.
Fashion in the Spotlight: 1955–1975. Rome Between Glamour and Industrial Innovation
Fashion photography and objects are featured against the backdrop of the old industrial machinery at the newest Centrale Montemartini exhibition, Fashion in the Spotlight: 1955–1975. Rome Between Glamour and Industrial Innovation. Offering a fresh perspective on the fashion industry that helped define Rome’s cultural scene, the exhibition features renowned fashion houses such as Valentino and Fendi alongside smaller yet equally noteworthy labels whose enduring contributions have shaped the city’s sartorial landscape. The display paints a vivid picture of the city’s diverse fashion world, encompassing theatrical costume ateliers, artisan workshops, the long-standing ready-to-wear tradition rooted in the historic Jewish Ghetto, and both small-scale and major textile manufacturers. Check out rare and previously unseen materials, including film footage, photographs, and documents, as well as garments created between the 1930s and the 1970s. Until Nov 15. centralemontemartini.org
Diego Rivera and the Construction of Modern Art in Mexico in the 20th Century
Mexico’s most celebrated muralist, Diego Rivera is renowned for frescoes that combined powerful social messages with striking artistic vision – and he was also famously married to Frida Kahlo. This month, the exhibition Diego Rivera and the Construction of Modern Art in Mexico in the 20th Century at the Capitoline Museums celebrates the artist in what is the largest showcase of Mexican art seen in Europe in recent decades. Alongside Rivera’s works, visitors can also see pieces by Frida Kahlo, José María Velasco, José Clemente Orozco, and photographs by Tina Modotti. Featuring more than 160 paintings, drawings, photographs, and sketches from leading museums and private collections, the exhibition explores how Mexican artists blended international influences with local traditions to create a bold national artistic identity. The result is a vibrant journey through Mexico’s cultural history, where tradition, innovation, and mixed heritage come together in a unique visual style. Until Dec 13. museicapitolini.org
Woman in Blue Reading a Letter
Thanks to an exceptional loan from Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, Palazzo Barberini is able to present Johannes Vermeer’s masterpiece Woman in Blue Reading a Letter. Painted around 1663–1664, the work is one of Vermeer’s most celebrated paintings and a highlight of Dutch Golden Age art. It depicts a young woman quietly reading a letter in a peaceful domestic interior, illuminated by soft daylight streaming through a window. The scene has become one of the artist’s most iconic images, combining realism, emotion and remarkable artistic refinement. This is a unique opportunity to admire the work of an artist whose surviving output numbers just over 30 paintings, none of which are permanently housed in Italy. Until Oct 11. barberinicorsini.org
Vitality of Italian Architecture 1946–2026
To mark the 80th anniversary of the Italian Republic, the MAXXI Museum is presenting Vitality of Italian Architecture 1946–2026, an exhibition celebrating the ideas, projects and visions that have shaped modern Italy. The exhibition opens with interviews featuring some of Italy’s most influential architects, including Stefano Boeri, Massimiliano Fuksas, Renzo Piano and Cino Zucchi. Visitors are also welcomed by a contemporary installation by Matilde Cassani, inspired by the BBPR Studio’s memorial to victims of Nazi concentration camps in Milan, alongside archival material exploring the early years of Italy’s post-war democracy. The heart of the exhibition showcases innovative work by eight internationally acclaimed architecture studios, highlighting the creativity driving Italian architecture today. The exhibition concludes with the finalist projects from NXT, MAXXI’s initiative that gives emerging architects the opportunity to design the museum’s annual summer installation in its outdoor spaces. Until Nov 15. maxxi.art
Kandinsky
or the first time in 25 years, Rome is hosting a major exhibition dedicated to Vassily Kandinsky, one of the pioneers of abstract art. On view at Palazzo Bonaparte until 14 February 2027, the exhibition brings together more than 70 masterpieces from international collections, including the renowned Centre Pompidou in Paris, home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of Kandinsky’s works. Following the artist’s journey from his early paintings inspired by Russian folklore to the groundbreaking abstract compositions that transformed modern art, the exhibition explores the ideas that reshaped the language of painting. Alongside iconic canvases, visitors can discover sketches, photographs, personal objects and archival materials that offer insight into Kandinsky’s creative vision and artistic evolution. An immersive installation and a selection of works by fellow artist Gabriele Münter complete this rare opportunity to experience the birth of abstract art. Until Feb 14, 2027. mostrepalazzobonaparte.it
Rome in Coins: Art and Power in the History of the Eternal City
sing coins to explore more than 2,000 years of Rome’s history, the exhibition Rome in Coins: Art and Power in the History of the Eternal City displays ancient currency alongside artworks, paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, jewelry, contemporary installations, and everyday historical objects. Each of the 25 sections begins with a coin as the central starting point for the narration, which then branches out to different historical topics and brings in more coins that describe pivotal moments in the city’s history. Spread across three of Rome’s most important cultural sites, the exhibition is divided into three chronological sections: Ancient Rome at the National Roman Museum; Middle Ages at the Colosseum Archaeological Park; Modern and Contemporary Era at the VIVE (Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia). museonazionaleromano.it – colosseo.it vive.cultura.gov.it
