Cathedral Museum: lanciata a New York “Art Be With You”

The 29 October 2015 will open in Florence on new and spectacular Cathedral Museum, which preserves the largest collection in the world of sculpture sacred medieval and Renaissance Florentine. 750 works including masterpieces of the greatest artists of the time: Donatello, Michelangelo, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Luca della Robbia, Arnolfo di Cambio, Andrea Pisano, Antonio Pollaiuolo, Andrea del Verrocchio and many more.

5.500 square meters of exhibition space, more than doubled in the space than the previous complex, 25 salt on three floors, some of which are of enormous dimensions; an innovative and spectacular staging can enhance unique masterpieces in the world like the Pietà by Michelangelo, Mary Magdalene and the Prophets of Donatello, the Choir of Luca della Robbia and Donatello, the legendary Heaven's Gate and the North Gate of Lorenzo Ghiberti's Baptistery in Florence. The latter will be visible for the first time after the restoration that has brought to light, After 6 centuries after its creation, the 'gold of which were covered with the sculptor of monumental work.

Spectacular the main hall of the museum (36 meters x 20 x 20) which houses the size reconstruction (a colossal resin model) ancient facade of the Duomo of Florence made by Arnolfo di Cambio from 1296, never finished and destroyed in 1586-87. A museum in the museum will be the gallery of Brunelleschi's Dome (1418-1436) with wooden models of the fifteenth, including one attributed to the same Brunelleschi, materials and tools of the time used for the construction of the Dome and the death mask of the great architect.

The Opera del Duomo (http://operaduomo.firenze.it/en), the institution founded in 1296 to build the Cathedral of Florence and since then strives to preserve and enhance this extraordinary heritage, invested 45 million euro of own resources for the new museum, without the help of any government grant. It is a commitment of great significance for the Work and for the city of Florence that sees so valued one of its main cultural and tourist attractions. The Cathedral Museum is part of the museum of the Great Cathedral Museum (http://www.museumflorence.com/) which includes the Florence Cathedral, Brunelleschi's Dome, Crypt of Santa Reparata, il Battistero di San Giovanni e il Campanile di Giotto. Un unicum di arte, faith and history. Una piazza nel cuore pulsante di Firenze che registra il dialogo costante, essential for the understanding, fra questi importanti luoghi artistici e culturali.

Emotion, mystery, passion, is one that aims to convey the Great Cathedral Museum to its visitors with the campaign "Art Be with You" (studied by Air Adversating) presentata per la prima volta a New York e realizzata per rappresentare sinteticamente un concentrato di arte e di storia che non ha eguali al mondo, because in it the roots of Western culture.

To express this wealth in its infinite artistic implications, historical and spiritual, Art Be With You ha superato l’obiettivo pur ambizioso e l’importanza contingente della presentazione del nuovo museo dell’Opera per arrivare a cogliere lo straordinario moto creativo all’origine del Duomo di Firenze e dei capolavori che gli fanno da corona. Art Be With You is a stringent definition of genius, passion and wishes of those who, more than seven hundred years ago, gave a decisive boost to the greatness of Florence and of art itself. Art Be With You is the heart of Florence, Opera tells the places and the memorable experience of their genesis with a power destined to last in the present and in the future.

Director of the new museum is Timothy Verdon, one of the most influential historians of Italian, while the architectural design and construction is by Adolfo Natalini and Guicciardini & Magni architects.

Founded in 1891, The Cathedral Museum was created to collect the works carried out over the centuries for the exteriors and interiors of the monuments of the Cathedral, Giotto's Bell Tower and the Baptistery, that, for reasons of conservation or in the course of modifications and upgrades, were removed from the original location.

The location of the new museum will start from the Hall of Ancient facade with colossal model of medieval facade of the Duomo of Florence. Faced with this titanic fifth will be located 40 Three statues of the early fifteenth century and originally made for this place from fourteenth-century masters, by Arnolfo di Cambio, Donatello and Nanni di Banco. On the opposite side of the room, will be exposed the Gates of Paradise (1425-52): "Who will return to occupy the front position with respect to the ancient facade, rebuilding a relationship visual and iconographic lost over 400 anni or sono” afferma Timothy Verdon.

On either side of the Gate of Heaven, the North Gate of the Baptistery and in the future, After restoration, Also the South Gate of Andrea Pisano. From this spectacular first environment, the path will continue on the ground floor with rooms that house the works of greater spiritual impact of the collection: The Penitent Magdalene by Donatello and Michelangelo's Pieta (1547-1555). The latter is one of the most mysterious of the great artist: perhaps destined to his tomb, Michelangelo in despair tried to destroy it with a hammer. La Maddalena (1453-55), masterpiece of the early Florentine Renaissance, is an elderly woman devoured by years and penances, so thin just to stand on feet. At the same time the figure unleashes a great inner strength in her eyes full of tenderness and devotion and the hands that are praying for giungersi.

Other focal points of the new museum will be the Gallery of Giotto's Bell Tower with 16 size statues, including overtime prophets of Donatello Habakkuk and Jeremiah, and the 54 rilievi scultorei originali che l’adornanavano; the Gallery of the Choir of Luca della Robbia and Donatello with two large pulpits made between 1431 and the 1439 for the Cathedral; la Galleria dell’Altare d’argento realizzato tra il ‘300 e ‘400 da vari artisti, including Antonio Pollaiuolo and Andrea del Verrocchio; the Hall of the Cathedral choirs; along with a wide section dedicated to paintings, sculptures, sacred gold and vestments from the collections diocesan.

Michael Lattanzi

By the number 53 - Year II 25/02/2015