Statue of Antonio Allegri (known as Il Correggio)

A visit to Correggio: a close encounter with Antonio Allegri

If you find yourself strolling through the historic centre of Correggio, there’s one stop you absolutely mustn’t miss.
As you arrive in the charming Piazza San Quirino – a splendid square built on the site of the town’s ancient defensive moat – you’ll find yourself face to face with the town’s most illustrious citizen of all time.
Right there, since 1880, stands the elegant monument dedicated to Antonio Allegri, known throughout the world simply as ‘Il Correggio’.

The statue is a true masterpiece, a full-length sculpture in white Carrara marble, set upon a solid plinth of pink Baveno granite.
The work was created by the renowned Ticino sculptor Vincenzo Vela, who succeeded in imbuing the monument with a calm and magnetic naturalism.
Looking at it up close, you will immediately notice the painter depicted standing, wearing typical Renaissance clothing: a short tunic and a long surcoat open at the front.
In his right hand he holds a paintbrush and in his left a palette – the tools of the trade with which he revolutionised the history of art.

But who was this man really?

Antonio Allegri, born in Correggio at the end of the 15th century and who died there in 1534, was one of the most extraordinary and innovative painters of the Italian Renaissance.
Famous for his incredible ability to make the viewer’s gaze ‘soar’ upwards thanks to breathtaking perspectives and domes that seem to open wide onto the sky, Allegri skilfully combined the grace of colour with a unique, gentle and profound use of light.

Keep exploring

Correggio

"Il Correggio" Museum

Correggio