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Speaker: Paola D'Agostino (I Tatti)
Italy has an extraordinary number of museums and cultural sites that house centuries-old, dizzyingly diverse collections that are closely connected to the cities and towns where they are located. In the past decade, they have undergone important changes in their organizational and management structures, bringing them in line with current international standards. As these changes were being implemented, the 2020 pandemic emergency struck, calling attention to the crucial economic, civic and social role of museums both in Italy and worldwide. This lecture examines the impact of this recent sea-change on several Renaissance museums in Florence, including the Bargello, the Medici Chapel, Orsanmichele, and Palazzo Davanzati. Housed in historic buildings, often overlooked by visitors, these four museums pose a series of challenges in terms of preservation and accessibility. They have responded to contemporary pressures and demands by reshaping and redesigning their collections, making them more accessible to diverse audiences. At the same time, these institutions have forged stronger connections with local, national, and international communities through a robust social media presence and the creation of new public programs. Despite the many challenges art museums face nowadays worldwide, they remain an essential space for the production of knowledge, the promotion of historical awareness, and the preservation of cultural heritage.
Paola D’Agostino was director of the Bargello Museums for eight years and is currently working on the role of early modern museums in a global society. She was curator at the Yale University Art Gallery, and Senior Research Associate at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has overseen new collection displays and international exhibitions. A sculpture expert, she published the book Cosimo Fanzago scultore in 2011. In 2013 she was the Cynthia Hazen Polsky/ MET Visiting Curator at the AAR and in 2019 she received the FIAC Excellency Award. During her tenure as director, the Bargello received the Apollo Award Best exhibition of the Year 2022 for Donatello. Il Rinascimento, co-organized by the Musei del Bargello and the Fondazione di Palazzo Strozzi.
Image: The small bronzes room at the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, January 18th, 2021
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