History of the complex
Built in 1907 to house a lithography and cardboard factory, the building underwent restoration and modifications in 1919, when the complex passed into the hands of the Italian Federation of Agricultural Consortia.
On that occasion, architect Guido Tirelli from Reggio Emilia proposed a neo-Renaissance design in line with his other works of the same period (see the Loggetta delle Grida in Piacenza to the east of Palazzo Gotico) that gave the palace the appearance it still has today.
The Piacenza-born Luciano Ricchetti, author of the allegories in the monumental staircase, also worked on the interior.
Why XNL Piacenza?
In the 1930s, the Società Elettrica Brioschi, which later became Società Elettrica Emiliana and was later taken over by ENEL, purchased the building, which had been left by the Federation after it moved its headquarters to Rome. From that moment until the 1990s, the palazzo retained its function as the administrative headquarters, which since the closure of its offices has led the people of Piacenza to call it eXeNeL, hence the nickname used for its reopening after restoration in 2020.
What is XNLPiacenza
The complex, acquired by the Fondazione di Piacenza e Vigevano in the early 2000s, was initially used for limited events, and was then restored – with the consultancy of the Michele de Lucchi studio of Milan – to become the contemporary arts centre of Piacenza.
The four floors are used for
- music – basement floor
- visual arts – mezzanine and first floor
- theatre and cinema – third floor.
Since 2020, the centre has been hosting temporary exhibitions, courses, meetings, presentations and conversations dedicated to the various fields of contemporary arts.
