Renato Coccia returns to Sant’Omero: an exhibition blending art and memory

From 19 to 25 July 2026, Palazzo Mendoza will host an exhibition of works by the Sant’Omero-born artist and the launch of a book on the town’s history. We at Baccalà Monti are supporting the initiative and contributing to the project, which coincides with the 45th Baccalà Festival.

For Renato Coccia, Sant’Omero is not merely the place where he was born. It is a root that has continued to surface in his work, through the landscapes, architecture and memories associated with the area.

From 19 to 25 July 2026, a selection of his works is on display at Palazzo Mendoza, in the town’s historic centre, as part of the exhibition *Sant’Omero nella memoria storica*. The exhibition, curated by Raffaella Cordisco and with free admission, is open every evening from 7.00 pm to 11.00 pm.

We support the project and are helping to bring it to fruition, working alongside the organisations involved in the initiative. This commitment stems from our ties to Sant’Omero, where our history began in 1903.

The exhibition opened on Sunday 19 July. Paolo Monti also spoke during the evening, emphasising the importance of memory as a link between generations and as a starting point for the future of small villages. This sentiment fully captures the spirit of the initiative.

Renato Coccia’s works in the village where he was born

A painter and engraver, Renato Coccia was born in Sant’Omero in 1935 and moved to Genoa in 1958. Since the 1960s, he has pursued a body of work devoted primarily to landscape, alongside works inspired by history, literature and spirituality.

The exhibition traces part of this journey back to the place where it began. The historic rooms of Palazzo Mendoza are home to images that tell the story of the town and allow visitors to rediscover, through the artist’s eyes, glimpses and testimonies that form part of the local memory.

A book dedicated to the places and people of Sant’Omero

Among this week’s events, on Friday 24 July at 9.15 pm, Piazza Dauri will host the launch of the book Sant’Omero in Historical Memory: Places and People.

The event forms part of the third edition of the ‘Schegge – Women and Men of Abruzzo’ festival. Renato Coccia will be a guest at the event, whilst Leandro Di Donato will be in conversation with the authors.

The exhibition and the book take different approaches, but share the same starting point: the people and places that have shaped the history of Sant’Omero.

A week that brings together culture and tradition

The initiative takes place at the same time as the 45th Norwegian Salt Cod Festival, which runs from 19 to 25 July. This is a particularly significant event for us here in Monti too, as we have been working with the Pro Loco to organise the festival for over forty years.

Support for this cultural initiative is, of course, an integral part of this report. Alongside its culinary traditions, Sant’Omero dedicates a week to its history, told through the works of an artist born in the village.

For us, it is a direct and tangible way of making our presence felt: supporting a cultural project, contributing to its realisation and standing alongside the community at an event that brings people, experiences and memories back to Sant’Omero.

Useful information

Exhibition: ‘Sant’Omero in Historical Memory’ – Works by Renato Coccia

19–25 July 2026, 7.00 pm–11.00 pm
Palazzo Mendoza, Largo de’ Mendoza – Sant’Omero
Free admission

The exhibition opened on Sunday 19 July.

Book launch: “Sant’Omero in Historical Memory: Places and People”
Friday 24 July, 9.15 pm
Piazza Dauri – Sant’Omero

45th Norwegian Salt Cod Festival
Running until 25 July 2026