You come from one of Florence’s oldest families, which is deeply intertwined with the city’s history. (The Frescobaldis were even bankers to the English Crown from Edward I to Henry VIII.) What did this heritage mean to you growing up?
Life in Florence is simple. We are not showy people. I grew up in the popular neighbourhood of Santo Spirito and I would walk to school from age five with my brother and cousins, fearless of threats because everyone knew each other, from shopkeepers and craftsmen to other local residents. At school, no one cared about surnames. The only thing that counted was that you had a tasty snack to share! At home, both my parents were working full-time, so my upbringing was pragmatic, like many other families. As a teenager, I lived in a former monastery surrounded by multicultural people—friends of my mother and her English husband—so I was not particularly interesting to them, given their extraordinary backgrounds. It was only when I moved to Paris, where I lived for five years studying at the École du Louvre, that I realized the role that my family played in the history of Florence: from building a bridge over the Arno, the Ponte Santa Trinita, to Dino, our ancestor who rescued the first chapters of the Divina Commedia from Dante’s home, when the poet was obliged to escape from Florence in 1303. To look back and see these extraordinary achievements has been a great incentive in my life to focus on activities that would leave a mark.
For years, you have spearheaded the Associazione Amici di Doccia. Can you explain more?
Doccia is another name for Ginori, a fine porcelain manufacturer in Tuscany that was established in 1737. I was already working in the valuation of western ceramics for Italian families who needed heritage divisions or insurance when we decided to create a non-profit association to promote research into the Ginori legacy in 2003. Since then, for over 21 years, there has been a relentless effort to safeguard the future of the Ginori Museum in Sesto Fiorentino, including the restoration of 47 sculptures; publishing 16 editions of the annual journal of the Friends of Doccia on the study of Ginori collections in museums all over the world; organizing eight exhibitions; and, last but not least, in 2017 we were successful in convincing the Italian State to buy the museum after more than 250 years of private ownership. At the moment, the museum is still under restoration, but it will open to the public in the next couple of years, but it is saved. We feel our mission has been accomplished.
You recently became the president of the Fondazione Istituto de’ Bardi that aims to protect the artisans of Florence. In the current culture of the ready-made and lightning-speed online orders, how will the artigianato be able to survive?
Every historical period has its ups and downs. We must not be pessimistic. The quality of a piece made by artisan hands will never lose its value. I believe that we will have a rise in interest of bespoke items, as there is a growing concern for sustainability, storytelling and the process of “making” over “product”. There will be no competition between mass production and artisanal production if we are able to communicate the differences embedded in each product. Supporting the values and the culture of artisanal work is the mission of the Istituto de’ Bardi.
Your book Inside Florence is truly a love letter to your city, a feast for the eyes with words and incredible photography. When did you first start thinking of such a publication and how long did it take to produce?
I wasn’t thinking about writing a book. It was only when the Marsilio publishing house contacted me that I realized that the book was already inside me. I put all the memories and different experiences together in the same way that one approaches a jigsaw: putting down all the pieces and then carefully assembling each fragment in order to have the complete picture. I feel very grateful and privileged for the opportunity to create a book about my city. This is my view of Florence, an authentic story revealing the humanity that lies behind the walls of private houses and workshops. My aim is to provide an intimate insight and better understanding of the significant work of artisans in Florence today.
Tell us about the photography, which brings such a dreamy quality to your words.
Being able to visualize my words through the eyes of the photographers Alessandro Moggi and Eugenia Maffei was the greatest satisfaction. I had lived in some of the houses in this book and I chose workshops I had known for years, but for them it was all new. When we were shooting for the book, I hadn’t actually written the text yet! We immediately had a deep complicity and my words have been perfectly reflected in their images.
For a visitor coming to Florence for just a few days, what would you recommend as the perfect day?
I would recommend not queuing to get into the Uffizi or the Accademia. Instead go and visit the Church of Santa Trinita or the San Marco Museum. Walk around the centre and avoid following the touristic signs that take you down the same streets as the other 10 million visitors. Stop at a local trattoria—the more old-fashioned it looks, the better you will eat—and do not ever order a cappuccino after 11am!
Livia Frescobaldi and Paola Vojnovic will continue their conversation live on Zoom on March 22 as part of Paola’s Studiolo, an online interview series with leading Renaissance experts, bestselling authors and museum curators. Sign up here: www.paolavojnovic.com
