News

by Sandro Pintus

The reopening of the
Academy of the Georgofili
The restoration of the Torre de' Pulci,
destroyed by the bomb

The explosion of the bomb on the night of May 27th 1993 caused the ceilings of the first floor of the historic quarters of the Academy of the Georgofili to collapse on top of the assembly hall where five canvases by Bartolomeo Bimbi were hanging on the walls. The Florentine Board of Artistic and Historic Assets has agreed to loan two paintings by Cornelius Schut to substitute the two canvases that were completely destroyed. A great many books were also destroyed and some really valuable works, antique periodicals and monographical works were buried under the rubble, though luckily most of these were recuperated and only about ten actually lost.

The Torre de' Pulci immediately after the explosion in 1993
(photo Torrini) and after its restructuration today

The works that have been restored also include a plaster statue of Cosimo Ridolfi, donated to the Georgofili by the author in the late 19th century, which was smashed to pieces, some valuable pieces of antique furniture belonging to the Academy, flags and a great many of the paper documents. Panels displaying a series of photographs have been set up beside many of the restored works to give visitors a better idea of the destruction caused by the explosion and to illustrate the various phases in the beautifully executed restoration. Moreover the Academy has now been supplied with about 4500 new books that have been donated by private citizens and institutions. See also: Discoveries in the Torre de' Pulci

FAN

FAN-Florence ART News
a cura di
Silvia Messeri &Sandro Pintus