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JOURNAL OF THE FRIENDS OF THE GALLERY No. 67 - December 2016 Seasons Greetings he year 2016 was filled with many innovations due to the arrival Tof the new Director Eike Schmidt; the numerous initiatives undertaken made for a very busy year. In September, the convoca- Botticellian tion and organization of the first General Assembly of the Friends of the Museums and Galleries of opened the way to the exchange and sharing of challenges and opportunities among all Gran Concert organizations and institutions involved in the valorization of the artistic patrimony. In the four new rooms been a museographic and ar- In the world of restoration, we were as always right on the front dedicated to the famous chitectural enterprise equal to line, alongside our generous Friends of the Uffizi Gallery who were artist and painters from his the reputation of the artist that the protagonists of critical financial support this year. gives the rooms their name and For the series of the “Festivities of the Valois”, the restoration circle, even the architecture of the fetish masterpieces they of the tapestry depicting the “Royal Departure from the Castle of draws on the early hold: often (unfortunately) the Anet” was completed by the firm Restauro Tessile of Beyer and Per- Renaissance Florentine only reason tourists visit the rone Da Zara and the cleaning of two other tapestries from the cy- tradition. Enhanced are museum. On the one hand, the cle were concluded by the Open Care Laboratory. The restoration immediate appreciation, dilemma of facing the impact of of the Triptych by Nicolas Froment was also completed along with comparisons and discoveries the crowds, of allowing groups that of the “Seated Apollo”, discussed more in detail in this issue of to pause in front of the master- the ‘Giornale’. I cannot go without mentioning the encounter of through the method of pieces without obstructing the the composer Ezio Bosso with the students of the Balducci Institute “visual induction” passing flow of the other visitors of Pontassieve, organized at the Uffizi: a constructive dialogue on was exquisitely logistic; on the important issues such as culture and beauty, guided by the conta- other, the task was to guide the gious energy of the Maestro and embraced with a great sense of he remodeling of the rooms visitors along a path of immediate maturity by the students. Finally, another important initiative is the Tdedicated to Botticelli and and intuitive appreciation fa- English translation of this periodical, which as announced will be the painters from his circle has voring spontaneous visual inter- available online, beginning with this issue. Together with the entire Board of Directors, I would like to take this opportunity to ex- tend our warmest best wishes for the New Year to the Director and his staff and above all to all of our friends encouraging their continued and renewed enthu- siasm and support.

Maria Vittoria Rimbotti

change from one painting to the next, suggesting comparisons and discoveries and highlight- ing other works of art that are equally magnificent but less well known to the general public. As part of the project of the New Uffizi, the space (which once occupied in part the Medi-

Eike D. Schmidt (continued on page 2)

Sandro Botticelli, The Adoration of the Magi, Uffizi Galleries.

IL GIORNALE degli UFFIZI 1 (continued from page 1) the first chord of the Botticelli- just beside. The references mul- for drama of his contempora- an gran concert playing in the tiply; the cult masterpieces guide ries from beyond the Alps nor ci Theater) was divided into surrounds. The lights become the eye towards lesser-known but how to sublimate their natural- four large, modern rooms a natural barrier that invites equally important works of art. istic explorations in the mesh of designed to draw attention to the viewer to stay at a distance The visitor is drawn into a fasci- impeccable artistic distinction, the works on exhibit. Through and from that distance the eye nating game of formal and cul- where every personage occu- colors and materials – red brick embraces the monumental tural associations that stimulate pies its given place as in a celes- floors, white plaster walls, the Annunciation from San Marti- more in-depth observation and tial dance, on marble pave- accents of grey pietra serena (the no alla Scala on the left, and greater involvement. ments covered with precious local grey limestone) that lead after having admired the other In the last room, before Turkish carpets. To the stirring from one room to another – works nearby, turns to the lumi- reentering the eastern corridor, studies of the pre-Lombrosian the architecture draws know- nous alcove on the central wall the marvelous, monumental Port- physiognomies of the shep- ledgeably on the Florentine of the next room which houses inari Triptych by Hugo van der herds in the Portinari Triptych, early renaissance tradition and the Birth of Venus. Goes is found. In this hall – which Ghirlandaio opposes the per- thus remains in tune with the Doing so, and observing includes the famous Pietà by Ro- fect health and serenity inclu- contents it houses. the painting, it comes naturally gier van der Weyden – the sive of human passions that And now our attention to note that the figure of Ze- Flemish school enters in dia- populated the skys of Florence turns to the works themselves phyr reflects that of the Arch- logue with the Florentine: if the at the time of Lorenzo il Mag- and above all to the method of angel in the Annunciation op- material is almost identical, the nifico. And while in theNativity “visual induction” that was inte- posite it, the nude Venus, float- diverse language immediately of van der Goes, the trees gral to the design of the layout. ing on the waves, is the sister of makes evident the relationships, stretch with their barren From the Pollaiolo room where Truth in the Allegory of Calumny the reciprocal influences and the branches to the grey December the Portraits of the Dukes of Urbi- alongside, who in turn points diversity among the artists. Take sky, in the Sacred Conversation no by Piero della Francesca oc- to the heavens as does Mercury the splendid Sacra Conversazione they are filled with oranges, a cupy a prominent place by the in the Allegory of Spring (Prima- from San Giusto alle Mura by Do- symbolic fruit: it is the mala me- window, the visitor passes into vera) where the nymphs wear menico Ghirlandaio, shimmer- dica Mercury indicates in the the much larger hall to face the the same flowing draperies as ing with colors and light effects: Primavera by Botticelli. Primavera hanging on the far Judith on her way to Betulia no one better than Ghirlandaio wall. It is the first painting seen, depicted in the small painting knew how to respond to the taste Eike D. Schmidt From Masaccio to Botticelli discovery of the antique to the on exhibit aims at bettering The new arrangement of the rooms naturalism of Flemish deriva- the viewer’s appreciation while dedicated to the early Renaissance allows tion, from a theocentric vision maintaining the arrangement’s to the perception of man as the chronological sequence. In the visitor to trace the progressive fulcrum of the Universe. room 8, one of the largest in The new layout, planned in the whole gallery, the works of development of Italian painting through an part with Antonio Natali, does the early Renaissance masters not include works from the de- are gathered, allowing visitors extraordinary concentration of masterpieces posits, unlike other areas of the to observe relations, similari- gallery reordered in the past ties and differences among the he new arrangement of from the gold background within the project of the New inventions of Masaccio, Beato Tthe group of rooms num- ‘primitives’ to the invention of Uffizi. Here a diverse distribu- Angelico, Filippo Lippi. The bered 8 to 15 has redesigned linear perspective, from the re- tion of the paintings already magnificent Battle of San Roma- one of the most important sec- no by Paolo Uccello, for which tions of the Uffizi Gallery’s ex- only a view from a distance al- position space, a veritable con- lows full appreciation of the centration of Florentine Re- perspectival virtuosity, has also naissance masterpieces includ- been moved to this room along ing the works that more than with the altarpiece by Domeni- any others in the eyes of the co Veneziano, masterpiece of world connote the identity of the ‘painting of light’. the gallery, Sandro Botticelli’s Room 9 dedicated to An- Birth of Venus and Primavera or tonio and Piero del Pollaio- Allegory of Spring. Visiting these lo, adequately rearranged in rooms is like paging through a 2007 with the restoration of survey text in art history, in just the wainscoting panels de- a few steps the progressive de- picting the Virtues painted for velopment of Italian painting the Tribunal of the Mercan- is displayed before the visitor, zia, remains unchanged. With

2 IL GIORNALE degli UFFIZI the Fortitude from that series fresco of the Annunciation once The most striking change, to include within the Floren- painted in 1469 by the young in the Hospital of San Martino with respect to the New Uffizi tine context, alongside the Sa- Sandro Botticelli, it introdu- alla Scala, previously on exhibit project as planned in the past, cred Conversation of Domenico ces the double space created in the apse of the ex-church of regards room 15, no longer Ghirlandaio, the grand trip- in rooms 10-14 to house the San Pier Scheraggio and visible dedicated to the School of Ver- tych depicting the Adoration of works by Sandro of which the to the public only sporadically. rocchio, with works by Leonar- the Shepherds by Hugo van der Uffizi boasts the most numer- The second part of the ex- do and other masters who Goes painted for the church ous collection in the world. hibition space is dedicated to trained in the workshop of the of Sant’Egidio, the Deposition The separation of the Primave- works of non-ecclesiastic prov- great master. Instead, along by Rogier van der Weyden ra and the Birth of Venus under- enance, which include the two with another pair of paintings once in the chapel of the Medi- scores the diverse provenance large tondi dedicated to the by Botticelli, it now houses a ci villa of Careggi, the Porti- of the two works (respectively Virgin Mary, the Madonna del group of Flemish masterpieces nari diptych by Hans Mem- the town house of the heirs of Magnificat and the Madonna of known to have been present in ling, all testimonies to the im- Pierfrancesco de’ Medici in via the Pomegranate, and paintings Florence at the end of the XV portance diverse cultures held Larga and the Villa di Castel- of mythological subject mat- century. In this way, the order- within the development of Ita- lo), each painted on different ter, such as the Birth of Venus, ing of works by school that lian art. surfaces. Among the first works Calumny and Pallas and the Cen- connotes the layout of the Gal- encountered is the detached taur. lery is slightly altered in order Daniela Parenti

Images of the new exposition space in the Uffizi, with well-known masterpieces of the Florentine Renaissance.

IL GIORNALE degli UFFIZI 3 governed despite the indomita- ble internal strife that charac- With Artful Weft terized the times. Widowed at forty-nine years of age, in 1560 Catherine became regent for her son Charles IX (a role she subsequently maintained) while and Political Warp France was ravaged by religious conflicts between Catholics and In celebrating the to enjoy the magnificent view, when she decided to finance the Protestants. tenth anniversary of the studded with olive and cypress restoration of the last four piec- Following entertainments trees, overlooking Florence. The es of the tapestry series, entrust- held at Fontainebleau in 1564 organization of the Friends monumental tapestry, newly re- ing the job to the skillful hands including a Mock Attack on an En- of the Uffizi Gallery, Villa stored thanks to the generous of Claudia Beyer and Costanza chanted Island depicted in one of La Pietra hosted the donation of Veronica Atkins, was Perrone. The morning’s celebra- the tapestries and other court rit- presentation of the restored put on display in the main hall tions ended with a convivial gath- uals incorporating tournaments tapestry from the series the of the residence, furnished in the ering in the Villa’s rustic and fas- at Fontainebleau and elsewhere, ‘Festivities at the Court of eclectic taste of Sir Harold Ac- cinating lemon tree greenhouse. the queen mother with her entire the Valois’, made possible ton, one of the most passionate The images of the queen court lavishly adorned in a man- of those Anglo-Saxon collectors (present in all of the series ex- ner similar to that depicted in the by the generous donation enamored with the city of flow- cept one, the Mock Attack on an Royal Departure from the Castle of of Veronica Atkins

he tenth anniversary of the Tfoundation of the organiza- tion of the Friends of the Uffizi Gallery was celebrated this year in Florence by a special event. During the course of 2016, Clau- dia Beyer and Costanza Perrone Da Zara of the firm ‘Restauro Tessile’ and collaborators com- pleted the restoration of the tap- estry (Inv. Tapestries no. 3, cm 390 x 534) in the restoration lab- oratory of Villa La Pietra put at the conservators’ disposition by . The tapes- try illustrates the lavish court of Catherine de’ Medici (visible in Maria Vittoria Rimbotti with Veronica Atkins, whose donation made the restoration possible. widow’s attire in her ceremonial chair at the center) departing ers. Veronica Atkins had already Enchanted Island) and members Anet, traveled throughout France from the Castle of Anet. sponsored the cleaning of the of her family who appear fre- for two years, between 1564 and On a brisk clear day, from Festivities in honor of the Polish Am- quently in the series, intend at 1566, to present the adolescent the heights of Villa La Pietra, bassadors (Inv. Tapestries no. 472) once to glorify the house of Va- king to his people. At the end the Friends - surrounded by the and the Attack on the Elephant (Inv. lois and exalt the peace and har- of the tour, having met with her beauty of the Villa’s landscaped Tapestries no. 474) carried out by mony within the royal family and daughter Elisabeth, queen of and Italian gardens - were able the Milanese firm ‘Open Care’ the kingdom that she diligently Spain, at Bayonne in 1565, three elaborate entertainments were held and represented in the se- ries: The Tournament of the British and Irish Knights in Bayonne, The Joust of the Quintana and The Har- pooned Whale in the River Adour. Among the most magnificent festivals is the Masquerade with the Attack on the Elephant, a symbol of the French crown commonly depicted, as seen in a painting

The Friends of the Uffizi Gallery during the visit to Villa La Pietra where the restoration of the tapestry took place.

4 IL GIORNALE degli UFFIZI by Antoine Caron, author of the election of Henry as King of Po- lated to this important diplomat- the Grand Duke Ferdinando I, preparatory drawings for the land in 1573, a role he held for ic triumph. After a crucial two Catherine also bequeathed her cartoons for this extraordinary only a year due to the premature years of pacification between set of values, her ethos, together series. death of Charles. The tapestry 1575 and 1576, in 1578, Cathe- with a powerful image of legitimi- The atrocious massacre of representing the Festivities in the rine undertook another tour of zation of the reigning family, the Huguenots, which almost co- Tuileries Garden in honor of the Pol- the southern provinces to rein- without neglecting pride in her incided with the marriage of ish Ambassadors being received by force the authority of Henry III. lineage as member of a family Catherine’s daughter Marguerite Catherine and the Royal Departure In gifting the Festivities tapestry that had made the primacy of the of Valois to the protestant Henry from the Castle of Anet demonstrate series as a dowry to her grand- arts its insignia. of Navarre, was followed by the the underlying political intent re- daughter Christina, betrothed to Francesca de Luca

The restoration New light on the tapestry of the tapestry entitled “Royal Departure from he tapestry arrived at the Faced with the numerous lous integration of the degraded the Castle of Anet” entailed TVilla La Pietra laboratory complications encountered in areas began. The choice to inte- in June 2015 with clear signs of the cleaning process and need- grate the losses in the weft and a complex cleaning degradation typologies common ful of further investigation of the the warp of the fabric with yarns procedure and the use in tapestries: the surface was lad- exact nature of the original ma- that we personally chose, tested of experimental en with diffused particles obscu- terials, we requested the consul- and dyed in specific tonalities techniques

The tapestry Royal Departure from the Castle of Anet, after restoration (photo Giorgio Misirlis). The diagram of the restoration (made by the conservators): blue indicates the weft integrations in wool and silk. ring the total image; the origi- tation of Isetta Tosini of the Opi- nal selvages showed numerous ficio delle Pietre Dure who car- was coordinated with the Direc- to a small window on the reverse minute losses; signs of abrasion ried out a number of scientific tor of Restoration in order to side of the tapestry. appeared on the light silk thread analyses including stereomicro- conform to the conservative and The supportive linen strips present in the borders’ back- scopic and optical microscopic aesthetic criteria adopted in the were remounted so as not to ground; the majority of brown examination of the varieties of intervention on the first tapes- separate the tapestry from this and black silk and wool threads, yarns and metal threads; Isetta try of the series, the Tournament precious testimony of the inven- found in the accessories and in Tosini also provided instructions of the British and Irish Knights in tory numbers in the Medicean the footwear were pulverized. on the correct method to adopt Bayonne, restored between 1998 Collections. Before beginning the resto- in the cleaning process. and 2002. The losses were sim- At the conclusion of this ration process in its various pha- During the complex clean- ilarly integrated by modulating complex intervention – direct- ses, the tapestry underwent an ing procedure, we experiment- the density of our intervention ed by Francesca de Luca and accurate and meticulous graphic ed and adopted cyclododecane to so the losses are visually masked executed by Claudia Beyer and and photographic survey (which control the bleeding of instable but remain identifiable at close Costanza Perrone Da Zara of in the end totaled 6050 photo- colors and a chelating solution distance. the ‘Restauro Tessile’ firm in graphs). to remove oxidation on metal A lining in dense and light collaboration with Patrizia La- Before cleaning, the sup- threads. linen fabric covering the entire bianca, Alice Papi and Irene portive strips were removed, all The analyses of the original reverse of the tapestry was fas- Caputo, the treated tapestry is components aspirated and fibers dyes were entrusted to Ilaria De- tened with vertical rows of stitch- now to be found rolled up on a tested for solidity. The testing re- gano from the Department of es in order to sustain the weight large diameter tube in the Gal- vealed that some red and brown Chemistry and Industrial Chem- of the tapestry during its vertical lery deposits and ready to be yarns had low resistance to water istry of the University of Pisa. exposition. A small area was put on display! making cleaning by sections on a Once the cleaning was suc- opened in the lower right back- low pressure table necessary. cessfully completed, a meticu- side of the lining to give access Costanza Perrone Da Zara

IL GIORNALE degli UFFIZI 5 The Second Life of Apollo

The public can once again admire the singular Seated Apollo, being the result of two artistic Galleria delle masterpiece of the Seated Apollo, following the restoration ages: antiquity and the renais- Statue e delle sponsored by the Friends of the Uffizi Gallery. The sance and baroque eras, all ex- Pitture, Gallerie restitution unveils the statue’s two artistic seasons, living isting side by side in synergetic degli Uffizi. side by side in full aesthetic harmony: one ancient and aesthetic harmony. the other renaissance and baroque The restoration is another of the innumerable occasions that confirms the special predi- antiquarian of nography. In two successive lection the Amici degli Uffizi early eight- interventions, one in the XVI (for over two decades by now) eenth century century and the other in the and the Friends of the Uffizi Florence, the XVIII century, the work un- Gallery (for ten years) have in statue repre- derwent integrations that regards to the Gallery’s collec- sented Apollo included the addition of the tion of classical statuary the re- in the act of head, the legs from the thigh birth of which we owe for the divination to the ankles, the right arm greater part to these associa- immediate- and the upper portion of the tions. I believe the name “Galle- ly following cithara. These extensive inter- ria delle Statue e delle Pitture” the killing of ventions did not completely that our museum has recovered the serpent Py- destroy, however, the classical thanks to the director Eike thon, a feat that iconography. Schmidt best confirms the sig- would give the son Thanks to the restoration, nificance of their efforts and, of Zeus the epithet we can now affirm with cer- thanks to them, it has been pos- of Pythius or Pythi- tainty that the cithara effec- sible to return to the enjoyment an Apollo. tively existed in origin and of the public not just a simple The admiration that the serpent was not com- sculptural “furnishing”, but a of the eighteenth pletely the fruit of a modern fundamental component of the century antiquar- sculptor’s imagination, but Florentine gallery collections, ians was followed instead had been present at without which today Vasari’s by substantial dis- the foot of the God from the complex would also be empty of interest on the part ancient period. paintings. of visitors and scholars Thus, the effigy of an Apol- for this very singular and lo Musagetes and Pythios is Fabrizio Paolucci fascinating work, which once restored, as Gori envisioned belonged to the very famous it with refined perceptiveness, collection of Cardinal Cesi its spiraling configuration before it entered the Medici and lithe proportions clear- collections. The dust and the ly betraying Lysippean in- thick strata of deposits that fluence. And Miriam Ricci’s over time had come to hide restoration not only furnish- the soft lines of the statue, es the first “blueprint” of the were the tangible proof of sculpture but also allows for this neglect. The restora- the recovery of its chromatic tion, masterfully carried unity and its aesthetic value out by Miriam Ricci with that had already impressed the financial support of the Gori. The statue once again nton Francesco Gori, Friends of the Uffizi Gallery, reoccupies its century-old Ain his volume entitled therefore, can rightfully be designated place in the Third “Statuae antiquae deorum considered the first and deci- Corridor and can no longer et virorum”, his fundamental sive passage in the return of be ignored even by the study on the collection of an- the marble to the attention of most distracted of visi- cient sculptures property of the public. tors. It is an exempla- the Medici published in 1734, For the first time, in fact, ry case of a work does not hesitate to define the it is possible to have a faith- that has lived “a Seated Apollo, which had been ful blueprint of the post-an- second life”, in the collections of the Medici tique components complet- to use the dukes since the Cinquecento, ing the figure, thus allowing happy ex- as “perrarum et elegans”. Ac- for a sound hypothesis on its pression of cording to the most famous original aspect and its ico- Paul Zanker,

6 IL GIORNALE degli UFFIZI

The speaker’s table at the General Assembly of the Friends of the Museums and Galleries with the participation of Minister Dario Franceschini.

the public, promoting a sense of identity that derives from the cultural patrimony, on which culture-based social cohesion can be built in the future. Convinced that the General Assembly is an encounter that should be periodically renewed to verify the ‘state of the arts’ and program future initiatives, we set our next appointment ty being the rationalization of for March 2017. resources and opportunities. Afterall culture is “the” Much enthusiasm and common good, and support- New strategies many contributions were ing it with every means is an shared, all with a final objective act of civic duty. Besides, can The General Assembly of the Friends of the corresponding to the mission you deny the pride one feels in Museums and Galleries of Florence held last September statement in our statutes: to in- being defined as a patron of brought to light extraordinary prospects in patronage and crease demand or audience de- culture? It is priceless. velopment. Our institutions must determined main priorities in effect focus more and more Maria Vittoria Rimbotti on continuous interaction with n September 5, 2016, individuals dedicated to the Othe General Assembly of support of the arts and to the the Museums and Galleries protection of those who culti- took place in Florence with vate them, this is not limited to the participation of the Italian the economic sphere but also Minister of Fine Arts and Cul- to the will and determination ture, Dario Franceschini. With to better the times and the so- the exact same spirit of con- ciety in which we live. structiveness with which past In all of the many associa- General Assemblies have been tions that make up the weave of convened in times of crisis in the so very intricate and lively order to initiate change, so fabric of Italian culture, along the Assembly clarified major with indispensable financial questions regarding culture resources, there is above all in Italy without neglecting the need for know-how in turning extraordinary opportunities ideas into undertakings that in offered on an international turn generate economic, social scale, determining as main and human values. priorities: the true valorization New patrons therefore are of the cultural patrimony and all those who use their compe- the widening and increase of tence and knowledge in the public fruition. service of collectivity: museum Discussions emphasized volunteers, professional cate- the need for recognition of gories who offer their services the private donor in the con- gratuitously or private collec- servation and valorization of tors who buy works of art to the cultural patrimony, espe- donate them to the communi- cially in the face of the notable ty galleries. decrease in public resources. With the call to the Gene- As the Minister himself af- ral Assembly, the Amici degli firmed, patronage and fund- Uffizi courageously promoted ing represent cultural benefits a debate and proposed the as- for which there has not been sociation as the seat of a truly adequate acknowledgment in united strategic program: a the past. nation-wide consultation that Although historically ‘pa- creates an agenda for the fu- tronage’ refers to the activity ture of cultural politics within The director of the Uffizi Galleries Eike D. Schmidt and the president of the Friends of of generous and illuminated our country, with a first priori- Uffizi Maria Vittoria Rimbotti.

IL GIORNALE degli UFFIZI 7 ife at the ffizi L U ASSOCIAZIONE

President n The Flood and Countess Maria Vittoria Colonna Rimbotti the Uffizi President Countess Maria Vittoria Colonna Rimbotti Vice-Presidents - Michael J. Bracci, Emanuele Guerra Sixty black and white Vice-President - Emanuele Guerra photographs commem- Executive Director - Lisa Marie Browne orate a tragic moment Executive Directors - Patrizia Asproni, Andrea Del Re, Giovanni Gentile, Fabrizio Guidi Legal Counsel - Howard J. Freedman in the history of Flor- Bruscoli, Mario Marinesi (Treasurer), ence and its artistic pat- Elisabetta Puccioni (Secretary), Treasurer - Bruce Crawford rimony; the exhibit was Oliva Scaramuzzi, Eike D. Schmidt, Catterina Seia Secretary - Madeleine Parker opened on November 4, 2016 in Room 41 of the Directors - Diana M. Bell, Auditors- Francesco Corsi, Susan D. McGregor Galleria delle Sculture e Enrico Fazzini, Corrado Galli delle Pitture degli Uffizi. Alternate Auditors - Alberto Conti, Honorary Member The photographs Eike D. Schmidt, Uffizi Gallery Director Valerio Pandolfi were taken in the emer- layers of mud to give first repair 2016 Advisory Board gency and have the immediacy to the damaged works of art. Secretariat - Tania Dyer, Bruna Robbiani of a spontaneous chronicle doc- The Galleria degli Uffizi was c/o UnipolSai, Chairman - Diann G. Scaravilli via L.Magnifico 1, 50129 Firenze. umenting the unexpected and hard hit in certain areas: on the Tel. +39 055 4794422 - Fax +39 055 4792005 Vice Chairman - Daniela Di Lorenzo immense damages caused by the ground floor, in the restoration [email protected] flooding of the Arno river the laboratories, but above all in the Secretary - Barbara Chamberlain morning of November 4, 1966. deposits of the works of art locat- Welcome Desk - Luminita Cristescu Galleria delle Statue e delle Pitture degli Advisors - Linda Civerchia Balent, All photos have been chosen ed in various zones of the com- Uffizi,Entrance 2 - Tel. +39 055 285610 Francine Birbragher-Rozencwaig, from the archives of the Photo- plex designed by Vasari. And yet, [email protected] Marianne Caponnetto, graphic Department of what was the Uffizi was a primary point of Scott Diament, Mars Jaffe, Gordon A. Lewis Jr., then the Superintendence of the reference for the artistic patri- triannual publication Irvin M. Lippman, Susan J. Saturday, Galleries, one of the most impor- mony of the entire historic of the Amici degli Uffizi Meredith A. Townsend, tant archives in Italy. The depart- center damaged by the flood wa- Robert E. Silvani, Linda J. Tufo Editor-in-chief ment itself, located then – as now ters: in the corridors of the gal- Maria Vittoria Colonna Rimbotti Honorary Members – on the ground floor of the Old lery damaged works of art from H.R.H Princess Maria Pia di Savoia Postal Office on the Piazzale of the churches and museums were Editorial board de Bourbon-Parma, H.R.H. Prince Michel the Uffizi, was flooded by the wa- gathered to be administered the President de Bourbon-Parma, ters mixed with mud and petrol; first emergency repairs. The Eike D. Schmidt Countess Chiara Miari Fulcis Ferragamo consequently, much was lost in Uffizi was indeed the emergency Uffizi Coordinator Friends of the Uffizi Gallery equipment, negatives and pho- ward – as defined by the then di- Salvatore La Spina 205 Worth Avenue Suite 201 tographic prints. The photogra- rector of the museum Luisa Palm Beach, Florida 33480 phers of the Superintendence Becherucci – before the “hospi- Managing Editor Tel.: 561.289.4090 succeeded nonetheless in docu- tal” in the ’ Li- Maria Novella Batini Fax: 561.391.1597 [email protected] menting the desolating scenario monaia (Lemon Tree Green- Contributors for this issue in museums, churches, historic house) was made ready. Francesca de Luca, Fabrizio Paolucci, HOW TO JOIN monuments as well as images Daniela Parenti, Costanza Perrone Da Zara, Maria Vittoria Rimbotti, THE FRIENDS OF THE of figures wading through the Maria Matilde Simari Eike D. Schmidt, Maria Matilde Simari UFFIZI GALLERY Extension Translator Membership dues are integral “Splendida Minima” Josephine Rogers Mariotti to the mission of Friends The exhibit “Splendida Minima. Small and precious sculptures from the Medici collections; from the Tribune of Francesco I Graphic design and layout of the Uffizi Gallery and Edizioni Polistampa - Firenze because the organization to the treasure of the Grand Duchy”, dedicated to a particu- Via Livorno 8/32 - 50142 Firenze, Italy. is a 501(c)(3) they are tax lar class of artifacts of great artistic value and refinement on Tel. +39 055 737871 exhibit at , has been extended to January 8, 2017. Fax +39 055 7378760 deductible. For any questions about memberships, donations, HOW TO JOIN THE AMICI DEGLI UFFIZI corporate sponsorships, Supporting the Amici degli Uffizi means becoming a patron of culture and a contributor to Sponsor of the Association planned giving or in-kind the conservation and donation of works of art to the Gallerie degli Uffizi. Amici degli Uffizi with their contribution: donations, please call at Your membership includes: 561-289-4090 ● A personal membership card ● Free, unlimited and priority entrance to the Galleria delle Statue e delle Pitture degli Uffizi UnipolSai or email and all of the museums of Palazzo Pitti Assicurazioni S.p.a. Bologna [email protected] ● A subscription to our triannual “Il Giornale degli Uffizi” or visit HOW TO JOIN: https://www.friendsoftheuffizi ■ At the Welcome Desk – Galleria delle Statue e delle Pitture degli Uffizi, Entrance 2, gallery.org/memberships/ Tel +39 055285610 [email protected] ■ Directly on our website www.amicidegliuffizi.it/diventa_socio

8 IL GIORNALE degli UFFIZI