Turin rend hommage à Giulia di Barolo avec le premier monument dédié à une femme de son histoire

The city of Turin is paying tribute to Giulia di Barolo with the first monument ever dedicated to a woman in the city’s history. The new sculpture, installed on the façade of Palazzo Barolo, at the corner of Via Corte d’Appello and Via delle Orfane, will be inaugurated with three days of public events from 17 to 19 January, including cultural initiatives, performances and guided tours.

Commissioned by Opera Barolo and supported by the City of Turin and the Albertina Academy of Fine Arts, the monument was created by artist Gabriele Garbolino Rù, under the artistic direction of Enrico Zanellati. The bronze sculpture depicts Giulia di Barolo holding a female prisoner in her arms, symbolising the marquise’s lifelong commitment to supporting imprisoned women and society’s most vulnerable members in the nineteenth century.

Giulia di Barolo (1786–1864), together with her husband Carlo Tancredi Falletti, founded the Barolo Social District, the first institution dedicated to welcoming women released from prison, along with numerous educational and charitable initiatives that are still active today through the work of Opera Barolo. Both Giulia and Carlo Tancredi have been declared Venerable, and their causes for beatification are currently under way.

The monument was made possible thanks to the support of the Abbona family, owners of the Antiche Cantine dei Marchesi di Barolo, who financed the project in keeping with a long-standing tradition that combines entrepreneurship, cultural patronage and social responsibility. In his address, Ernesto Abbona recalled his family’s deep personal connection with the history of the Marquises of Barolo, highlighting Giulia and Carlo Tancredi’s crucial role not only in the birth and international success of Barolo wine, but also in promoting an economic vision aimed at sustaining charitable activities.

The celebration programme includes guided tours of Palazzo Barolo and the Social District, historical and musical performances, activities for families and children, and concludes with a commemorative Eucharistic celebration and the concert “On Giulia’s Notes”. A weekend of remembrance, art and civic commitment, restoring to the city the legacy of a woman who left an enduring mark on the history of Turin and Piedmont.