Sea Art Gallery

The Sea Art Gallery (Pinacoteca del Mare) – established in April 2009 as a part of the “Museo del Mare” museum centre – is located in the heart of the Old Town of San Benedetto del Tronto, inside the early nineteenth century Piacentini Palace. The creation of the Art Gallery was welcomed as a remarkable addition to the museum centre, which currently includes the “Antiquarium Truentinum” Archaeological Museum, the Amphorae Museum, the “Augusto Capriotti” Fish Museum and the Regional Fishing and Seafaring Culture MuseumThe Art Gallery of the Sea was started with the aim of bringing together and presenting to the public the masterpieces of the town’s civic collection, which were once stored in municipal warehouses or public offices. The largest exhibition area of the Gallery is dedicated to the Swiss artist Alfred Châtelain (1867-1943). It features paintings, photographs and original drawings by the multifaceted master who lived in San Benedetto for more than a decade.

Another valuable and extremely relevant section of the Gallery exhibits works by Adolfo De Carolis (1874-1928), an artist of great national significance who captured scenes of everyday life on the shores of the Adriatic Sea. Oil paintings and works on paper by Armando Marchegiani (1902-1987), an artist from San Benedetto del Tronto, show a peculiar local perspective on the national art scene of the twentieth century. Two paintings on canvas by Angelo Landi (1879-1944) welcome visitors in the Gallery hall, offering an enchanting glimpse on the life of women and men working on the sea.

In year 2009 the collection was enriched with a priceless gift from private citizens Maria Antonietta and Luigi Anelli: a photo album titled “Vele ritrovate” (Found Sails), containing photographs of fishermen and fishing boats. The authorship of the photgraphs was attributed to Adolfo De Carolis.