The exhibition, curated by Stefano Bosi, celebrates the deep bond between Francesco Hayez and Lovere, born thanks to the family relationships with the nephews Carlotta Martinolli and Enrico Banzolini. An emotional and intellectual relationship, fueled by letters, art, and patriotic ideals.

At the center of the exhibition path are the romantic heroines painted by Hayez: women loved, fought for, often caught in the moment of farewell, suspended between passion, remorse, and civil ideals. Among the works on display stand out Juliet's Last Farewell, Luigi XIV and Mademoiselle de la Vallière, the epic story of Imelda de’ Lambertazzi, and the watercolor with The Kiss, a manifesto of love and the struggle for freedom, which reprises the subject of the Brera canvas.

Closing the exhibition is a core of works donated to the nephews and now part of the Museum of the Nineteenth Century's heritage: the Self-Portrait, the Madonna of 1869, and the Ecce Homo, the last masterpiece of history painting. A tribute to Hayez's narrative strength and his civil commitment, through the intimate gaze of a family story that becomes collective memory.