An Etruscan revival is taking over the Palazzo Vecchio this month. In conjunction with the G7 Culture Summit, the Chimera di Arezzo will go on special display in the Sala Leone X as part of the exhibition Chimera Relocated: Taming the Beast (until 27 April, 2017). Completing the show are a sketch of the Chimera by Baccio Bandinelli and Bandinelli’s bust of Cosimo I. The three-piece combination highlights the 16th-century interest in Etruscan history and objects, with Grand Duke Cosimo I leading the trend. Though the Chimera was accidently found in 1553 during a dig outside the Porta San Laurentino in Arezzo, Cosimo I was known to express his love of Etruscan history through commissioning archeological campaigns and digs, and did not hesitate to claim the newly-rediscovered Chimera for himself. The find was quickly brought to the Palazzo Vecchio, where Cosimo I insisted the piece be put on display in the Sala Leone X. Bandinelli would later sketch the Chimera, largely celebrated in the artistic and academic community, as well as cast a bust of the Grand Duke.
A series of initiatives have been planned around the exhibition, with conferences, on-site discussions, guided visits and workshops aimed at exploring in-depth the objects and related themes. The program will include two conferences on April 7 and 12, focusing, respectively, on the Chimera itself, its mythological background and the details surrounding its rediscovery, and on the salient moments in the life and work of Baccio Bandinelli, one of the most celebrated artists of the Florentine Renaissance. On April 15 and 23, the Director of the Florence Archeological Museum will offer a face-to-face discussion, where he will talk about the Chimera’s iconography, its various homes since being rediscovered and its popularity over the centuries. The program will also include a special version of the Palazzo Vecchio’s beloved theatrical guided visit with Giorgio Vasari. The Renaissance art historian, who personally followed its rediscovery and transfer to the Palazzo Vecchio, will take visitors on a journey into the bronze statue’s rediscovery and its subsequent use as a symbol of Cosimo I’s political and artistic power. There is also an event dedicated to families on April 9 and 17, where kids and their parents can hear about the Chimera’s mythology and create their very own monstrum, a fantastical and sometimes fearful creature. The final part of the program is a guided visit centered around Cosimo I’s “Etruscomania”: visitors can explore the Grand Duke’s interest in Etruscan history and his position as a “new Etruscan prince” in political propaganda, underlined by his proud display of the Chimera in the Sala Leone X.
The Chimera. Conference with Giuseppina Carlotta Cianferoni (7 April)
Baccio Bandinelli. Conference with Carlo Francini (12 April)
Where: Museo di Palazzo Vecchio
For who: youths and adults
When: 7 April and 12 April, 5.30pm
Duration: about 1 hour
Cost: participation is free (entrance to the museum not included)
Focus on the Chimera. Conversation with Mario Iozzo
Where: Museo di Palazzo Vecchio
For who: youths and adults
When: 15 April and 23 April, 11.00am
Duration: 50’
Cost: the conversation is free; € 10.00 full price and €8.00 reduced
Guided by Giorgio Vasari: Cosimo I de’ Medici and the Chimera beast
Where: Museo di Palazzo Vecchio
For who: youths and adults
When: 15 April and 25 April, 3pm and 4.30pm
Duration: 1h15’
Cost: € 12.00 full price and €10.00 reduced (city residents) – €14.00 full price e €12.00 reduced (non-city residents) – entrance to the museum is included
The Chimera and the beasts to tame
When: 9 April and 17 April, 5.00pm and 11.30am
For who: families with children between 6 and 10 years old
Duration: 1h15’
Cost: € 12.00 full price, €10.00 reduced and €2.00 children (city residents) – €14.00 full price, €12.00 reduced and €4.00 children (non-city residents) – entrance to the museum is included
The Chimera and the Etruscomania of Cosimo I de’ Medici
Where: Museo di Palazzo Vecchio
When: 8 April and 22 April, 3.00pm and 4.30pm
For who: youths and adults
Duration: 1h15’
Cost: € 12.00 full price and €10.00 reduced (city residents) – €14.00 full price e €12.00 reduced (non-city residents) – entrance to the museum is included
Special visit in sign language: 9 April, 3.00pm. Participation is free for visitors with disabilities and their helpers.
Reservations are mandatory. For information and reservations:
Tel. 055-2768224 055-2768558
Mail info@muse.comune.fi.it
