Accademia Gallery: targa per i Friends of Florence

It is from 2003 that the Foundation supports non-profit Friends of Florence and also supports the activities of the Accademia Gallery. To thank the valuable work done in all these years by the Foundation and to the sharing of intent, in agreement with the Superintendent, the direction Florentine museum decided to affix a plaque in the Tribune's David, near the bust of Michelangelo Buonarroti.

Registration, in Italian and English, gives the following: La Galleria dell’Accademia ringrazia Friends of Florence per il loro programma di manutenzione del David e dei Prigioni di Michelangelo dal 2004 al 2014 and in the future
The Accademia Gallery is grateful to the Friends of Florence Foundation for their continued program in preserving Michelangelo’s David & Prisoners from 2004 to 2014 and into the future

The ceremony was attended by the Director of the Accademia Gallery, Angelo Tartuferi, and the President of the Foundation nonprofit Friends of Florence, Simonetta Brandolini d'Adda.

"It is a great pleasure - said the Interim Superintendent for the Museums of Florence, Alessandra Marini - publicly acknowledge the important contribution of the Friends of Florence and leave this place in memory of strong international. In fact this important association this time chose to support maintenance work is absolutely essential for the protection of both the proper carrying out enhancement, in this way, a particularly meritorious, as dictated by a real love for art and beauty ".

"The economic support discrete and diluted over time secured by Friends of Florence - added Angelo Tartuferi - for maintenance of David and the Prisoners of Michelangelo is an example of absolute greatness to be proposed to all non-profit organizations. It is a concrete and virtuous coaching that supports the museum in the fulfillment of one of the fundamental objectives of its mission, that beyond any reform is and will remain one of the preservation of the collections ".

Finally Simonetta Brandolini d'Adda, stated that "with this ceremony we are happy to celebrate the tenth anniversary of that ties our Foundation to the Accademia Gallery, one of the landmarks of world culture. The partnership built over the years with Franca Falletti is continuing with Angelo Tartuferi because it is in the philosophy of Friends of Florence in time to contribute to the maintenance of the works of which cares. In 2003 we started the walk alongside the gallery with the restoration of 22 works around the David and 2004 we are always committed to the preservation of the works of Michelangelo and then the original model of the Rape of the Sabine Women. Our work is in support of the beauty and symbols that are part of the soul of humanity. We are always committed to preserve and enhance the heritage that belongs to everyone and that everyone should be admired ".

Ten years of work in the Galleria dell'Accademia.

The "link" between the non-profit foundation Friends of Florence and the Galleria dell'Accademia begins at the end of 2003 when he financed the restoration of 22 paintings in the Tribune's David, including some works by Allori, Bronzino, Pontormo, Hatches, Santi di Tito and other. For the occasion were published a book and a CD-rom.

In 2004, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo's David, the non-profit Friends of Florence Foundation funded the program diagnostic tests on the statue as well as allowed the creation of the website and a DVD dedicated to the operation of restoration that followed the stage in analisi.Sempre 2004 kicked off a program of conservation of David and of Slaves (cd. Prisons) Michelangelo in the Galleria dell'Accademia (ongoing and funded annually with a donation of 20 thousand euro) and once again the non-profit Friends of Florence Foundation contributes to the maintenance of the consequent restoration of David 2004 and monitoring and controls stability of Slaves.

In this regard,, between the 2007 and the 2008, the Foundation has funded the monitoring and restoration of the Bearded Slave, while in 2011 and 2012 it was the turn of the other three Slaves. At last, in the same period, the Friends of Florence supported the research and analysis of the original model of the Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna, visible in the Hall of the Colossus of the Accademia Gallery.

In ten years, Friends of Florence has given a total of over 850 thousand euro for these projects, working synergistically with both the museum, both with the professionals involved.

Michael Lattanzi

By the number 49 - Year II 28/01/2015