Step back five centuries in time and enjoy Villena’s open-air exhibition “5th Centenary. Gallery of Characters”.
It is a remarkable showcase that brings the people of 16th century Villena into the present day.
History is coming to life on Paseo Chapí in Villena. Enjoy the exhibition from Thursday 6 November at 18:30. The display will stay open to the public until 17 January, giving plenty of time for you to enjoy this unique journey into the past.
Villena’s open-air exhibtion: Research and AI
This project combines meticulous historical research with the power of Artificial Intelligence to recreate what Villena’s most notable figures might have looked like. Using written records from the era, the exhibition gives a face to a time when portraiture was a privilege reserved for kings and nobles, leaving ordinary citizens unseen.
But this isn’t just about the great and the good. The exhibition also highlights ordinary townsfolk. It features tanners, shoemakers, flax workers, farmers, tailors, merchants, and stonemasons, the very people who shaped Villena’s society in 1525, the year it officially became a city.
Each AI-generated portrait offers a glimpse into what life may have looked like five hundred years ago. From the clothing and expressions to the quiet pride on every face. The exhibition reminds us that while times have changed, the spirit of the people, their work, creativity, and sense of community, continues to connect the Villena of then and now.
