Following its resounding success in Monza and Bologna, “WITCHING. Iconography, Rites, and Symbols of the Heretics of Knowledge” arrives in Padua, from October 24, 2025, to February 1, 2026, in the evocative spaces of the Ex Macello Cathedral.
A visually striking exhibition that intertwines bold ancient engravings, rare 16th-century esoteric texts, and talismans from distant eras, offering a profound and fascinating insight into the mysterious universe of witchcraft and the enigmatic figure of the witch.
This new edition is completely reimagined, thanks to a new curatorship and a radically redesigned exhibition layout. Leading this renewed vision is Andrea Pellegrino—art historian, writer, and criminologist—who has created a surprising and original version of the exhibition.
Conceived as a secular rite of passage, STREGHERIE is not merely an exhibition, but an authentically immersive and transformative experience. Far from fairytale representations or the shadows of the Inquisition, the figure of the witch emerges here as an archetype of knowledge, freedom, and resistance.
The exhibition is divided into nine narrative sections, accompanying the visitor on a journey through myth, the body, knowledge, persecution, and rebirth. From the witch’s oracular and pre-Christian origins to her contemporary incarnation as a symbol of political and cultural emancipation, each room becomes a stage of transformation, featuring artworks, installations, documents, and ritual objects.
