From Lorenzo Lotto to Ciol. The Diocesan Museum's "hot" autumn.

The Carla Maria Martini Diocesan Museum is having a "hot" autumn on the exhibition front. Once again, the focus is on sacred art and photography , with two exhibitions opening in October and November: "Capolavoro per Milano 2025," featuring this year's " Natività" by Lorenzo Lotto , and the first Milanese retrospective dedicated to photographer Elio Ciol .

Lotto's Nativity (Venice, c. 1480 – Loreto, Ancona, c. 1556) is a precious panel on loan from the Pinacoteca Nazionale in Siena. Considered the "restless genius" of the Renaissance for the originality of his artistic language, his approach to the theme of the Nativity through unusual iconography and his use of light will be appreciated.

From November 14th to February 15th, 2026, the Diocesan Museum will also present an exhibition dedicated to Elio Ciol (Casarsa della Delizia, Pordenone, 1929), one of Italy's leading contemporary photographers. Curated by Stefano Ciol, the exhibition will retrace Ciol's seventy-year career with a selection of 90 of his most famous images alongside lesser-known ones, focusing on landscapes, rural life, faces, and architecture.

"The autumn photography event has become a tradition, allowing us to present this extraordinary artist, Elio Ciol. We are delighted that his gaze, eager to delve into reality and its essence, will accompany us in the coming months," says Museum Director Nadia Righi. As for the Masterpiece for Milan, "it is an exhibition that is always eagerly awaited by our audience. Furthermore, it marks the beginning of a new collaboration for us with the Pinacoteca di Siena, which has granted us the loan of Lorenzo Lotto's Nativity."

While awaiting new exhibitions, the Museum will be open evenings until September 1st (daily from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm). Admission is €12 and includes admission to the two current photography exhibitions, Dorothea Lange and Sony World Photography, and a first drink at the Chiostro Bistrot.

St.Con.