The origins of the library and art gallery can be attributed to an Artistic-Cultural Association named "Sestium", in remembrance of the ancient name of our town. According to Don Achille Walter Alfonsi, the foundation of the association dates back to August 1950, on the eve of St. Leo’s feast, when a group of passionate friends established Sestium, a sort of cultural circle composed of young supporters who shared common ideological tendencies, aimed at achieving significant goals for the entire Saracena community.

In his report contained in the booklet "The Legacy of the SESTIUM Cultural Association", Professor Pietro Napoletano identifies the official foundation of SESTIUM in August 1952. Today, a valuable collection of seventy paintings by some of the most prominent contemporary artists—such as Guttuso, Purificato, Omiccioli, Andrea Alfano, and others—as well as five remarkable sculptures, remains as testimony to its legacy.

The Sestium Artistic-Cultural Association sought to foster a closer connection among the town’s citizens and was primarily dedicated to the creation of a library and an art gallery, as well as "the establishment of a drama society and the promotion of all activities aimed at enhancing cultural development among both the general population and students."

Cultural movements have never been lacking in our town. One need only recall Dr. Vincenzo Forestieri, author of the famous monograph on Saracena, after whom the library has been rightfully named.

Dedicating our library to this key figure in Saracena’s cultural history compels us to provide at least a brief biographical note on this distinguished person. Born in 1822, he passed away at the age of 57 in 1879. Many of his works remain unfinished or unpublished, but he is best remembered for his composition of the "Historical Monograph of the Municipality of Saracena", published in Rome in 1913. He is also credited with another significant manuscript, in which he meticulously documented the history of Saracena’s convents, particularly that of the Capuchins.

Jumping forward in time to a more recent period, it is fitting to mention the scientist and poet Professor Don Vincenzo Fioravanti. This remarkable individual was born on December 6, 1876, and passed away on October 28, 1958. He was an internationally renowned botanist and a poet. We fondly remember him through the moving words of Mario Alfano, author of a monograph on Professor Fioravanti: "He was a cultured man, without a doubt, but to truly understand him, there was only one way: an examination of his papers. However, I am not aware that they, along with his books and magazines, have been preserved. One thing is certain: Professor Fioravanti was an excellent botanist, scientifically speaking. His garden was a true botanical haven. He would retreat there every afternoon to continue his favorite readings and to conduct his plant and flower studies."

Our biographical gallery would not be complete without mentioning journalist, writer, poet, and painter Franco Alfano, author of several publications. It also extends to Professor Vincenzo Russo, renowned for his scientific works such as "Why Cancer Advances" and his latest achievement, the scientific novel "Cancer, Sex, and Society."

The upcoming inauguration of the new municipal library and art gallery is intended as a visible testament to our Municipal Administration’s commitment to fostering cultural activity. The selected building will serve as a renewed space for managing and preserving the town’s literary and artistic heritage.

A hypothetical bibliophile, exploring the library’s reading room, would not only appreciate the usefulness of the available works for academic and general reference but would also discover, alongside literary texts and encyclopedic volumes, works by local authors, valuable guidebooks on the history and culture of our territory, and rare 19th-century publications. These include writings by the Calabrian author Vincenzo Padula—born in Acri and known as a historian of folk traditions, mentioned in Professor O. Cavalcanti’s book "Subaltern Culture in Calabria"—as well as eight volumes attributed to Domenico Antonio Galdi on "Commentary on the Civil Procedure Code", four volumes of Ercole Vidari’s "Commercial Law", a linguistic manual from 1893 by Giuseppe Francini, a French grammar book from 1853 by Giuseppe Moneta, and "Letters on Protestantism" by Father Gesualdo da Cardinale.

Returning to our passionate bibliophile, as he steps out of this rich world of literature and back into the daylight, he would undoubtedly feel a sense of enthusiasm after this journey through the realm of books.

At this point, our discussion cannot fail to mention at least a few of the paintings and sculptures housed in the art gallery.

Alongside works by local painters Andrea Alfano and Mimmo Sancineto, the collection includes a 30x40 cm oil on canvas by Tato, a wax sculpture by Emilio Greco, a 35x50 cm drawing by Renato Guttuso, an oil on canvas by Lello Mario Barresi, and a piece by the renowned Dutch painter and engraver Rembrandt.

This concise overview of the main artists featured in the exhibition aims to serve as a tribute to those who have contributed to providing the entire community—and all visitors who cherish artistic expression—with a space where glimpses of creative genius have been preserved in their auroral emergence.

Curated by Domenico Laurito