The MAG Museo Alto Garda in Riva del Garda opens a new exhibition, “I giorni di Santa Lucia: il terremoto e le trasformazioni di Riva del Garda” (“The Days of Santa Lucia: the Earthquake and the Transformations of Riva del Garda”), on Friday 20 November 2026 at 18:00. The museum has been closed to the public to rearrange its Pinacoteca (picture gallery) and prepare the new display. It reopens on Saturday 21 November.
The Santa Lucia earthquake, fifty years on
The earthquake of 13 December 1976, on the night of Santa Lucia, remains deeply etched in the memory of Riva del Garda and of Trentino. The 50th anniversary gives the museum a chance to strengthen public awareness of how important it is to know the territory and its risks.
The exhibition is staged in collaboration with the Historical Archive of the Municipality of Riva del Garda and with the University of Trento, Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering (DICAM). It gathers period photographs and historical documents to reconstruct the seismic impact on the area and on local architecture and, above all, the response of the community.
Between the fear of those hours and the promptness of the rescuers, 1976 marked a turning point in awareness of how fragile the landscape can be, and in the birth of modern civil protection systems.
The December programme and winter opening days
The exhibition is part of the programme “Riva del Garda, memoria e prevenzione a 50 anni dal terremoto” (“Riva del Garda, Memory and Prevention 50 Years After the Earthquake”). It gets into full swing from Thursday 10 to Sunday 13 December 2026, with students, professionals and families taking part. Topics include earthquakes, prevention and planning, linking scientific knowledge with the experience the Civil Protection service has built up in the area.
From 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 the museum welcomes visitors with extraordinary openings from 10:00 to 18:00 on the following days:
- November: 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29
- December: 4 to 8, 11 to 13, 18 to 23 and 26 to 31
- January: 2 to 6
For information, the MAG can be reached on 0464573869.
