Welcome
to the Fondazione Claudia Cardinale
“My mother and I created the Foundazione to support artistic creation as a means of passing on knowledge, values, and inspiration. We chose to work from Le Picardeau, her final residence, as an anchor point in a region that is both inspiring and open to the world. We believe in the need for an active, living continuity that is constantly evolving. Today, more than ever, I proudly carry her first name and uphold the legacy of her journey as a woman, a mother, and an actress.”
Claudia Squitieri, President of the Fondazione
The Fondazione Claudia Cardinale supports contemporary creation at the intersection of visual arts and cinema. It welcomes artists in residency at the Picardeau house and accompanies them through different stages of their creative process, fostering a spirit of exchange, collaboration, and shared experience.
Our Cardinale points
Experimentation
Supporting artistic experimentation at the intersection of visual arts, cinema, and emerging creative practices.
The Foundazione was born from the close bond between Claudia Cardinale and her daughter Claudia Squitieri. Guided by shared values, they co-founded the Foundazione to build a bridge between their respective worlds—cinema and the visual arts. The Foundazione therefore supports artists whose work explores and experiments at the boundaries between these disciplines.
Hospitality
Acting from place of living, as a gateway to the international stage.
The Foundazione operates from the Picardeau house, Claudia Cardinale’s last residence in Nemours, one hour away south of Paris, where she brought her natural sense of hospitality and generosity. That spirit continues to animate the place today, fostering dialogue, encounters, and artistic creation. The Foundazione’s initiatives grow out of the richness of this inspiring region and from a commitment to act with respect for the environment and the unique setting that was chosen as her home.
Transmission
Encouraging the sharing of knowledge, practices, and experiences among artists and with the public.
Claudia Cardinale embodied longevity and versatility throughout her career, transforming her natural spontaneity into one of the defining qualities of her art. She was committed to helping emerging filmmakers bring their first projects to life—whether feature films or short films—fully aware of the importance of that first helping hand at the beginning of a creative journey. The Foundazione develops projects that encourage exchanges between artists at different stages of their careers, while fostering meaningful and creative interactions with audiences.
Circulation
Supporting the mobility of artists and the dissemination of their work.
Claudia Cardinale proudly carried her triple heritage—Tunisian, Italian, and French—throughout the world. Deeply European in spirit, she nevertheless kept her heart rooted in Africa. Inspired by this openness, the Foundazione places intercultural exchange at the core of its mission. It develops partnerships in France and Italy, while seeking to strengthen its connections across the Mediterranean region. The Foundazione is guided by the conviction that meaningful engagement with other cultures and realities is essential to both life and artistic creation.