Foresiana Art Gallery

The Foresiana Art Gallery was founded in 1914 thanks to a donation by scholar and intellectual Mario Foresi (Pisa, 1849 – Florence, 1932), a member of a distinguished Elban family. The collection includes paintings, prints, furniture, and drawings covering a wide chronological range and showcasing a variety of artists and schools—reflecting the taste and cultural heritage of the Foresi family.

The gallery opened to the public on 21 September 1924 and was initially located on the top floor of the Town Hall, where it remained until 1943. The works were later moved to Napoleon’s villas of San Martino and dei Mulini, and in 1991, the gallery was relocated to its current location.

The visit begins with portraits of the Foresi family, including the 1870 portrait of Alessandro Foresi by Antonio Ciseri, a portrait of Mario Foresi by David Sani (1881), and one of his daughter Maria Alessandrina at age eighteen.

Next are depictions of Elban figures and landscapes, starting with the famous portrait of Mago Chiò by Telemaco Signorini—an artist associated with the Macchiaioli movement who painted extensively during his stay on the island as a guest of Mario Foresi. This section features various views and scenes in diverse styles, from post-Macchiaioli to cloisonné and academic approaches.

The second room is devoted to 19th-century genres, including Orientalism, caricature, and portraiture. The third room displays copies of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, highlighting their lasting influence. Among the replicas are works by Botticelli, Raphael, and Correggio.

Another area showcases cityscapes of Rome, Florence (notably by Giuseppe Moricci), and Livorno. The fifth room focuses on mythological subjects and historical scenes, while the following section offers a variety of styles from the 17th and 18th centuries.

The collection also features classical landscape paintings, including Lake Nemi by Salvator Rosa (Naples 1615 – Rome 1673).

The tenth room, an additional exhibition space, includes works not part of the Foresi bequest but owned by the Municipality of Portoferraio. It opens with the portrait of lawyer Pietro Gori by Plinio Nomellini—an exceptional work in the artist’s career—followed by landscapes by Elban painter Pietro Senno and a notable tamarisk tree painting by Llewelyn Lloyd.

The visit concludes with various views of Elba and Portoferraio by Giuseppe Mazzei and Edoardo Gordigiani.