Home Media News Art Bonus Program UMBRAGROUP patron for the Santa Caterina Auditorium in Foligno
The former Church of Santa Caterina is now a multipurpose space serving the community
This morning, at the Auditorium—formerly the Church of Santa Caterina—the restoration and modernization project carried out on the building was officially presented as part of the Art Bonus program, thanks to the contribution of UMBRAGROUP. By joining the national program promoted by the Ministry of Culture, UMBRAGROUP S.p.A. stepped forward as patron, covering the entire amount needed for the renovation of the Auditorium.
Taking part in the press conference this morning were the Mayor of Foligno, Stefano Zuccarini, Beatrice Baldaccini, Chief People & Brand Officer of UMBRAGROUP, and the Councillor for Culture and Environmental Policy, Decio Barili.
“For the Municipality of Foligno, it is a great satisfaction to see the Santa Caterina Auditorium reopen,” said Stefano Zuccarini, Mayor of Foligno. “This is a space suited to the most diverse uses, and thanks to UMBRAGROUP it can once again serve the community. We hope that this will be just the first successful project arising from the collaboration between institutions and the private sector, and that many others will follow UMBRAGROUP’s example of attention and care toward its community, helping to restore other spaces and assets of our city.”
“We are immensely grateful to the Municipality of Foligno for supporting us throughout the development of the Art Bonus program. It is truly rewarding to see firsthand the significant results that can be achieved when institutions and companies work together toward a common goal,” commented Beatrice Baldaccini, Chief People & Brand Officer of UMBRAGROUP. “Already during the celebrations for our 50th anniversary in 2022, we believed in this Auditorium, presenting it to our main clients as a place of particular historical and cultural value. Now it is important to continue taking care of what we accomplished today by maintaining it as a precious asset for the community.”
The business vision behind UMBRAGROUP’s work is tied to what could be described as a “WE economy,” aimed at giving back to the community that has hosted the company for over 50 years by offering a space dedicated to everyone.
“This venue is truly special, and thanks to UMBRAGROUP we can now meet the needs of Associations for various types of use,” concluded Decio Barili, Councillor for Culture and Environmental Policy of Foligno. “The national Art Bonus program is a valuable opportunity not only for companies, but also for private citizens to contribute to restoring shared heritage. UMBRAGROUP has been ahead of the curve in this respect, becoming the first company in the Municipality to join this important national initiative. We hope this will be only the first concrete step in supporting our historic and artistic heritage, inspiring the entire community to take action and fostering greater civic responsibility.”
Historical Notes on the Auditorium / Former Church of Santa Caterina
The Auditorium of Santa Caterina was built around the 13th century as a church dedicated to Saint Catherine and originally annexed to the monastery of the Poor Clares, a cloistered community of the Second Order of St. Francis. Of the entire monastic complex, only the church remains. The church consists of a single nave and features an elongated rectangular plan with a gabled roof.
To meet the worship needs of the nuns living in the convent, the interior had to be divided into two distinct sections: one for public celebrations and one reserved for the cloistered nuns, known as the nuns’ choir.
Inside the church are fragments of frescoes dating from the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, some attributed to the school of Dono Doni. The exterior showcases a stone façade in white and pink Subasio stone, while the Gothic front is enriched by a pointed-arch portal framed by two small columns supporting a capital and a circular rose window, of which only the outer ring survives.
The monastery of Santa Caterina was inhabited by the nuns until 1869, when they were transferred; in 1878, the church façade was declared a protected monument. Throughout the 20th century, the building underwent various changes of use, leading to the gradual and inevitable deterioration of the monastic complex. Restoration efforts on the church began only in the 1990s, and after the 1997 earthquake, both the reconstruction of the roof and the securing of the façade were funded.
