The Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence reopens its rooms dedicated to the paintings of the thirteenth and fourteenth century to the public. The rooms are located on the ground floor, with a brand new system for air-conditioning and lighting that, together with the colour chosen for the walls, enhances the completely renovated setting.
At last , the major construction sites needed to modernise and restore the structure of the Galleria dell’Accademia, which have kept us occupied over recent years, are about to begin their shutting down procedures,” the director Cecile Hollberg declares with satisfaction The halls dedicated to the thirteenth and fourteenth century works are another important part of the gallery to return to the exhibition itinerary. The rooms have been the subject of interventions aimed at microclimatic and lighting technology improvements, in order to valorise the paintings preserved here.
It has also given us the opportunity to review the layout and order of the paintings, as well as the colour of the walls, which is now green. This colour was chosen to complement the colours of the masterpieces housed in these rooms, particularly the beautiful fragment of Giotto’s fresco of the Head of a Shepherd.It will all be a real surprise for our visitors."
The so-called “Byzantine” rooms are treasure boxes, crammed full of paintings with gold backgrounds. These masterpieces, together with works by artists previous or contemporary to Giotto, make up part of the Florentine Gothic Painting Collection. Here we find, among others, the Master of the Maddalena, the Master of St Cecilia, Taddeo Gaddi, Bernardo Daddi, Andrea di Cione known as the Orcagna, and Pacino di Buonaguida.
The central hall is dedicated to Pacino, an extraordinary painter and miniaturist.
In addition to the famous Tree of Life - just returned from the Bargello Museum, on loan for the exhibition “An Ancient and Honourable Citizen of Florence. Bargello and Dante” - three other important works will be on display again (tempera on wood, dated 1305-1310): St Proculus, St John the Evangelist and St Nicholas which each formed three of the side panels of a dismembered polyptych from the church of St Proculus in Florence.
Another goal achieved, therefore. The halls are finally equipped with an air conditioning system, which was previously lacking, and a lighting system, created with the support of Enel, which has always collaborated with care and expertise with institutions for the enhancement of artistic and cultural heritage.
The project was sponsored by Enel X, the Enel Group business line dedicated to public and artistic lighting, digital and innovative services and is part of a wider lighting project that concerns other areas of the museum.
The new lighting system, as well as enhancing the precious paintings in these rooms by allowing the details of the works to be seen clearly, is also energy efficient. The positioning of the lamps at a 30 degree inclination with regard to the walls and paintings, will ensure that the visitors' shadows are not cast on the walls. The LED lights are of high photometric and colorimetric performance. Renovations were supervised by the Gallery staff, architect Claudia Gerola and restorer Eleonora Pucci.
Tradotto da: Bazzani Sara, Brunetti Gaia, Canavesi Giulia, Cavazzini Ariel Giulia, Cianciosi Francesca, Cikalleshi Matteo, Cossu Leonardo, Curioni Gaia, Gashi Jollca, Ghiselli Chiara, Gllasoviku Emiglenda, Letzner Anna, Maggini Francesco, Mazzini Melissa, Oroya Simeon Elssy, Picchietti Victoria, Piro Gaia, Poggiali Alessia, Raci Elsa, Rocchini Lucrezia, Sartiani Giulia, Schreier Mélanie Yukiko, Seravelli Letizia, Sugherelli Chiara, Tagliaferri Martina della classe 5F Linguistico dell’Istituto Russell-Newton
