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Since Italy has over half of the artistic masterpieces in the world, you probably already
have a list a mile long of "must-see" artistic treasures. But sometimes there are special shows
that are just as unique and unrepeatable, so we hope you can fit one or more of them in!
| Sunken Treasures of Egypt (through May 31, 2009 at Scuderie della Venaria Reale, Piazza della Repubblica, Venaria Reale (outside Torino), open Tuesday-Friday 9am-6:30pm; Saturday 9am-11pm; Sunday 9am-8pm). In the last 12 years, marine archaeologist Franck Goddio has discovered unique testimonials to Egyptian history dating from the 7th century BC to the 8th century AD. Found off the coast of the modern city of Alexandria and in the Bay of Aboukir, these artefacts were lost to the sea more than 1000 years ago when Alexandria, Heracleion and Canopus all met the same tragic fate, with whole sections of the cities disappearing into the sea as the result of natural disasters. Heracleion disappeared without trace. Now these many centuries later, monumental statues, gold coins, jewellery, cult and sacred objects have emerged from the depths, mute testimony to the tragic events that struck these cities. Names shrouded in legend such as the ancient harbour of Alexandria and parts of the royal quarters, the long-lost city of Heracleion and parts of the city of Canopus have been re-discovered. Around 500 objects found in these spectacular underwater excavations will be on display, and the exhibition also offers fascinating insight into the work of divers and marine archaeologists. |
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Morandi, The Art of Etching (through June 2, 2009 at Palazzo dei Diamanti, Ferrara, open daily 10am-6pm). This extraordinary exhibit includes 138 works -- the entire opus of Giorgio Morandi's etchings , or at least what the artist considered worthy of signing. The Bolognese artist, who began etching in 1910 and continued until right before his death in 1964, is considered one of (if not THE) greatest 20th-century masters of this art form. His work is often compared with that of Dürer, Rembrandt, Piranesi and Goya, and merits a side trip to the medieval fortress town of Ferrara. |
| Canova: The Classical Ideal in Sculpture and Painting (January 25-June 21, 2009 at Musei San Domenico, Piazza Guido da Montefeltro 12, Forlì, open Tuesday-Friday 9:30am-7pm; Saturday, Sunday, April 12, April 13, May 1 and June 1, 9:30am-8pm). By the end of the 18th century, Canova was considered the greatest artist of his time, having reached and surpassed the excellence of the ancient Greek sculptors. Celebrated at every European court, his works astounded all who saw them. This exhibit aims to trace the artist's career through a series of exemplary masterpieces. All forms of his art are, for the first time, compared to the ancient works that inspired them. Museums throughout the world have loaned exquisite pieces that will make this show well worth the detour to the charming backwater town of Forlì. If you can't get to Forlì in time, you can see some of Canova's greatest masterpieces at the Borghese Galleries in Rome. Click here for information. |  |
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Déco: Art in Italy 1919-1939 (January 31-June 28, 2009 at Palazzo Roverella, Via Laurenti 8/10, Rovigo, open Tuesday-Friday 9am-7pm; Saturday 9am-9pm; Sunday, April 12, April 13, May 1 and June 1, 9am-8pm). The term "art déco" was not coined until the '60s, but it referred to a distinct attitude about artistic creation that was born between the two world wars. The aim was to go beyond the mere functionality of art by coloring it with an elegance that could actually influence popular thinking. In Italy, two important offshoots were Liberty ("invented," some say, by Galileo Chini), and Futurism. By far the most popular expression of this style was in poster art, of which this exhibit offers numerous gorgeous examples. But there are also pieces by architect Giò Ponti, ceramicist Richard Ginori, and glassmaker Vittorio Zecchin. |
| The Traveling Artist: from Gauguin to Klee, Matisse to Ontani (February 22-June 21, 2009 at Museo d'Arte (MAR), Via di Roma 13, Ravenna, open February 22-March 31 Tuesday-Friday 9am-6pm; Saturday and Sunday 9am-7pm; April 1-June 21 Tuesday-Thursday 9am-6pm; Friday 9am-9pm; Saturday and Sunday 9am-7pm). In the 19th century, man's inexorable desire to discover new horizons and unknown lands took on yet another dimension: curious travelers now wanted to meet exotic people. This trend was memorialized by the many traveling artists who wandered through faraway territories capturing the faces and scenes they observed. This exhibit combines maps and other records of the time with drawings, oils, watercolors and etchings loaned from institutions as far flung as the subjects they portray. |  |
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Picasso, Suite 347 (through June 28, 2009 at Museo Civico Ala Ponzone, Via Ugolani Dati 4, Cremona, open Tuesday-Saturday 9am-6pm; Sunday 10am-6pm). If you are a Picasso fan, this event is mandatory. Never before in Italy have all 347 etchings that the Catalan artist created in one fell swoop between March and August of 1968 been shown together. Indeed, there have only been two very partial shows, in Paris and Chicago, and both of these were limited to adult audiences because of the erotic nature of some pieces in the oeuvre, especially those dedicated to Raphael and his beloved Fornarina. Get ready to be entertained as well as dazzled if you detour to Cremona for this landmark show. |
| Raphael and Urbino (April 4-July 12, 2009 at Palazzo Ducale, Urbino, open Tuesday-Sunday 8:30am-7:15pm; Mondays 8:30am-2pm). Raffaello was born in the exquisite Marche hill town of Urbino in 1483 (interestingly enough, he was both born and died on Good Fridays). This show examines the atmosphere that he grew up in, as well as the influence of his birthplace on his work. Particular attention is paid to his relations with his father, the painter Giovanni Santi, whose workshop young Raffaello inherited at the tender age of 10. Twenty glorious paintings and 19 intricate drawings are on display, making a side trip to beautiful Urbino well worth your while. |  |
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Earth and Sea: Southern Landscapes, from De Nittis to Fattori (through August 2, 2009 at Pinacoteca De Nittis-Palazzo della Marra, via Cialdini 74, Bari, open Tuesday-Sunday 10am-10pm; Friday 10am-11pm). Long before modern tourism discovered the glories of southern Italy, the Tuscan pre-Impressionists had fallen in love with its wheatfields, olive groves, beaches, coastline, and more than anything else, with its ever-changing skies. The magic of these scenes and the passions they inspired are the focus of this unusual exhibit, a must-see if you are planning to include Apulia in your itinerary. |
| The Oscar Studio: Award-Winning Costumes from the Celebrated Tirelli Atelier (through September 6, 2009 at Musei Provinciali, Palazzo Attems Petzenstein, Gorizia, open Tuesday-Sunday 9am-7pm). If you are a fan of American, British or European period films, those set in days gone by when women were exquisite and men were gentlemen, then you have admired -- perhaps without knowing it -- the masterpieces designed and sewn together by Italy's greatest costume studio. Works such as the gown worn by Michelle Pfeiffer in "The Age of Innocence" will be on display in the charming Friuli hilltown of Gorizia, just a stone's throw from the Slovakian border. |  |
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The Age of Water Lilies (through September 27, 2009 at Palazzo Reale, Piazza Duomo, Milan, open Tuesday-Sunday 9:30am-7:30pm; Monday 2:30-7:30pm; Thursday 9:30am-10:30pm). In 1890, at the age of 50, Claude Monet purchased an estate in the small town of Giverny, near the banks of the Siene outside Paris. He had already established a school of painting that he named "Impressionism"; the garden he planted at his country home, along with the lily pond he designed, were destined to become equally famous in the 30 years that ensued. This much-awaited exhibition explores the formative influence of Japanese art on the famous Impressionist master, focusing on the famous Water Lilies series of paintings created between 1900 and 1923. Included are 20 large paintings from the Parisian Marmottan Museum, 60 Japanese prints from the Musée Guimet in Paris, and a selection of 19th-century photographs of Japanese gardens. |
| Dürer, Titian, Rembrandt, Tiepolo (through October 4, 2009 at Museo Remondini, via Schiavonetti 7, Bassano del Grappa, open Tuesday-Saturday 9am-1pm and 3-6pm; Sunday 10:30am-1pm and 3-6 pm). Apart from the exquisite works displayed here, this show is a fascinating look at a collection amassed by several generations of one of Europe's finest engraver families. A few of the masterpieces were huge best-sellers in their time, contributing to the wealth of a family whose ancestral mansion hosts a delightful museum worth visiting if you're going to be in the Veneto. |  |
Our list is anything but complete: if you know of other exhibitions or events you think people should hear about, please drop us a line.
