Leonardo Culture Center

The permanent exhibition at the Leonardo Study Center in San Donato Val di Comino is a celebration of the art of Luciano Tocci, one of the most renowned contemporary artists in our area. Born in 1955 in San Donato Val di Comino (FR), Tocci is an internationally renowned painter, sculptor and cultural worker who has received numerous prizes and awards in the most prestigious art competitions.

Since adolescence, Luciano Tocci has frequented art galleries and artists' studios, observing with admiration the old masters in the act of amalgamating colors. This experience has profoundly influenced his art, which originates from a love of nature and a desire to feel an integral part of it. Through nature, Tocci is able to reproduce on canvas the emotions and vibrations it offers to man, creating works that have been exhibited in numerous galleries, museums and cultural centers in Italy and abroad.

Tocci's works have been exhibited in cities such as Rome, L'Aquila, Gubbio, Rimini, Greccio, Taranto, Bari, Florence, and Milan, and in countries such as Belgium, France, the United States, and Canada. Some prestigious venues that have hosted his works include the Leoni Palace in Cupra Montana, the Wallon Museum in Liege, the De Falconibus Castle in Pulsano (TA), and Le Meridien Montparnasse in Paris.

Numerous prominent commissions have been received by Tocci. For the Municipality and Pro Loco of San Donato Val di Comino, he made medieval shields recalling the history and traditions of the town's districts. In addition, through the "Leonardo" Culture Center, he created a philatelic cancellation to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the death of St. Donato Bishop and Martyr.

Art critics have always welcomed Tocci's works, praising his ability to reflect the nobility of the human soul through his masterful use of color and drawing. His paintings, which recall 19th-century iconography, are often described as faithful mirrors of his life and ideals, conveying harmony and composure.

Each of Tocci's paintings exudes a light and shade of color that captures the visitor's attention, taking them into an idyllic atmosphere in which the abstract and the figurative blend harmoniously. His figures, often angelic and spiritual, emerge from the canvas as if in a dream, giving life to the imagination.

Luciano Tocci's works have been reviewed in national newspapers, magazines and art catalogs, receiving special prominence in such publications as "Mercato & Arte," "Annuario Comed," "Enciclopedia Artisti Contemporanei," "International Directory of Arts" and the "Catalogo Dell'Arte Moderna Editoriale Giorgio Mondadori." His documentation is preserved in the Historical Archives of the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, the Historical Archives of the Venice Biennale, and various museums in Italy.

Tocci is also the founder of the "Leonardo Culture Center" and constantly collaborates with CAFF in Gubbio in the production of artistic ceramics. He has illustrated books of poetry for authors such as Jacques Meylon and Maria Antonia Iannantuoni, with solo exhibitions related to these publications.

The permanent exhibition offers visitors a journey through Luciano Tocci's artistic universe, where classical music often accompanies the path through the works, enhancing the artist's insights and genius. An unmissable opportunity to immerse oneself in the beauty and depth of his creations, which represent a continuous search for himself and the emotions that pervade his soul.