(Finance) – Il BCC Iccrea Groupthe largest Italian cooperative banking group with 114 Cooperative Credit Banks (BCC), presented the project at the Braidense National Library in Milan “BCC Art&Culture”. This is the first cultural integration initiative promoted by the Group, which aims to enhance the immense artistic, historical and architectural heritage preserved by the BCCs on the national territory. The project represents the largest private widespread museum in Italy, which combines archaeological finds from Magna Graecia, masterpieces of painting and sculpture and contemporary works of art in an unprecedented cultural tourism itinerary.
The collections will be accessible both through physical visits, or thanks to a dedicated web portal, which offers an immersive 3D experience and a digital catalog. This portal will allow you to explore the works, consult permanent and temporary exhibitions, and discover the cultural events organized by the BCCs in the various territories. The project aims to make accessible and enhance an often little-known part of the Italian artistic heritage, highlighting the creativity and mastery of artists, artisans and intellectuals who have marked the history of local communities.
In addition to the valorization of the artistic heritage, BCC Arte&Cultura includes a educational plan aimed at middle school students. Through creative workshops, guided tours and digital teaching tools, young people will be able to come into contact with the cultural heritage of the BCCs, learning more about local artistic traditions. The initiative thus intends to stimulate curiosity and love for beauty in children, accompanying them in the discovery of Italian cultural roots.
As part of the project, the BCC Book Club will also be launched, a literary journey that promotes reading in communities. BCC members and customers will be able to participate in the reading of three selected novels, which will have “journey” as their central theme. This initiative will take place in collaboration with local bookstores, which will host in-depth moments with the authors.
The project made it possible to bring to light extraordinary works often unpublished or little knownAnd. Among these, the painting Christ mocked (circa 1625-1630), attributable to the workshop of Anton Van Dyck, and the monumental canvas The Class of Donkeys by Romualdo Locatelli (1936) stand out. Other rediscoveries include sketches by Cesare Maccari and works by artists such as Filippo Carcano and Franco Gentilini. These treasures are the result of in-depth research conducted by the curator Cesare Biasini Selvaggi.
On the occasion of the launch of the project, the BCC Iccrea Group supported the restoration of two important works of the Braidense National Library: the Catalog of the Numismatic Cabinet, which documents the library’s collection, and the Museum Mazzucchellianum, a valuable catalog of the 18th century medal collection.
The project is in strong harmony with the National Recovery and Resilience Planfocusing on innovation, digitalisation, sustainability and cultural valorisation. As underlined by Mauro Pastore, General Director of the BCC Iccrea Group, the objective is to broaden the social footprint of the BCCs, strengthening their role as proximity banks attentive to the needs of local communities. In this sense, BCC Arte&Cultura becomes a lever of social inclusion, cultural regeneration and sustainable development, tracing a path for the next generations.
With this initiative, the BCC Iccrea Group not only celebrates the Italian cultural heritage, but reaffirms the deep bond between the BCCs, their territories and their peoplemaking visible, through art, the common thread that unites local communities to the national cultural fabric.