A century-long artistic saga

Florence – Always used in the singular, Ghirlandaio is actually the trademark of the dynasty of such artists and entrepreneurs, who, beginning in the second half of the 15th century, dominated the scene of the Florentine Renaissance for a century. Domenico (1449-1494) was therefore the first artist in the Ghirlandaio family of which were also part his brothers David (1452-1525) and Benedetto (1458-1497), his half-brother Giovambattista, his brother-in-law Bastiano, and his son Ridolfo (1483-1561). Numerous artists who were apprenticed to their school (Michelangelo and Granacci being the most renowned) contributed to spreading in Italy and Europe their fame as masterly illustrators of Florence and its civitas.
The Ghirlandaio’s workshop was above all a place with extraordinary professionals – very productive and organized according to modern criteria as to skills and roles – where Domenico and Ridolfo were the true creative masters of colour, some were extremely good at painting, and others besides expert in the workshop management.
Such a well-balanced, prolific and long-lived clan is now the focus of an extremely important exhibition, the first one on the family in its entirety, which involves the whole area from Florence to Scandicci as well as various other places in the hinterland. It is the land where the Ghirlandaio family lived and worked, rarely leaving it, disseminating it with masterpieces, so much so as to turn it into a spectacular and diffused museum.

Hence the title of the event: The Ghirlandaio Family. Renaissance Painters in Florence and Scandicci, open from November 21st, 2010 to May 1st, 2011, Thursdays to Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The venues: the Castello dell’Acciaiolo in Scandicci, showcasing 15 works of art. From here visitors may follow a double itinerary leading them to large and small museums, palazzos and churches, villas and abbeys which house dozens of panel paintings, altarpieces and frescoes. Works which have mainly a religious character and represent the Madonna and Child, the nativity, the annunciation, but which also include portraits and figures that document the Florence of that time.
This implies that the exhibition is made up of a series of exhibitions and venues, ascribable to two well-known cultural projects: that of the Città degli Uffizi, conceived by Antonio Natali, director of the famous gallery, to showcase the immense artistic heritage kept in the Uffizi store rooms and promote the beautiful areas around Florence, and the Piccoli Grandi Musei one organized by the Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze with an expert committee presided over by Antonio Paolucci, which has the aim of promoting the artistic and monumental heritage of the Florentine area.
It was in honour of the Ghirlandaio family that the two aforementioned projects merged. The initiative is promoted by the Special Office for Monuments and Fine Arts of the Polo Museale Fiorentino, the Uffizi Gallery and the Municipality of Scandicci, along with the Ente Cassa di Risparmio, the Regional Office for the Cultural and Landscape Heritage of Tuscany, the Monuments and Fine Arts Office of the metropolitan area (Florence-Pistoia-Prato), the Provincial Administration of Florence, the Municipality of Florence, and the Romualdo del Bianco Foundation. It is under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and involves the collaboration of the Tuscan Regional Administration, the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, the municipalities of Calenzano, Campi Bisenzio, Sesto Fiorentino, Signa and Lastra a Signa. The catalogue is published by Polistampa.

As it is known, the true surname of Domenico Ghirlandaio was Bigordi, and he and his brothers ended up being identified with the nickname of their father, an excellent goldsmith renowned for his special skill in making garlands (ghirlanda in Italian). From Scandicci, their homeland, they moved to Florence in the first half of the 15th century, and in this town, which was then the world capital of art, their workshop became established in the second half of the century. The exhibition tour starts from Scandicci. Curated by the art historian Annamaria Bernacchioni, the exhibition at the Castello dell’Acciaiolo showcases a famous painting by Domenico (Saints James, Stephen and Peter), the beautiful Madonna by Ridolfo (from the Fuligno Refectory) and another 14 works loaned by various museums in Florence.
From here two different Ghirlandaio exhibition tours start. The one in Florence includes the frescoes in the Sala dei Gigli of the Palazzo Vecchio, the Sassetti Chapel and the Tornabuoni Chapel – respectively in the churches of Santa Trinita and Santa Maria Novella – and the Adoration of the Magi at the Museo degli Innocenti. Numerous other masterpieces by such artists are in the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia Gallery, the Palatine Gallery and in the Ognissanti and San Marco Refectories, all of which are to be visited even though not part of this specific programme.
The other tour is in the area north-west of Florence, on both sides of the Arno, abounding in works of art that the Ghirlandaio family left behind: in the houses which belonged to the family in San Martino and Colleramole, in the millenary Settimo Abbey, in the Church of Sant’Andrea in Campi Bisenzio, in the Sacred Art Museums of San Donnino and San Martino a Gangalandi. And also Mosciano, Giogoli, San Martino alla Palma, and San Colombano.
It is a fascinating journey in the Florentine Renaissance which offers guided visits, meetings for families, school contests, educational workshops, as well as a prize for students and artisans. Moreover, you canbuy or taste typical products in restaurants, shops, and firms participating in the initiative.

GARETH PUGH THE PITTI GUEST DESIGNER
Gareth Pugh is the Guest Designer at this edition of the fair:  On Thursday evening, 13 January the young British designer will be feted with a special site-specific performance and event…in a very striking location somewhere in Florence!

ALBERTA FERRETTI, THE PITTI SPECIAL EVENT
As a tribute to one of the great names in Italian prêt-à-porter, Pitti Immagine has invited Alberta Ferretti to present a fashion show during Pitti Uomo, featuring a collection designed specifically for this occasion. The elegant and glamorous runway show, will be held in an exception venue on Tuesday evening, 11 January

- LUBIAM, A CENTURY OF MADE IN Italy: THE PITTI UOMO SPECIAL PROJECT
The heritage firm based in Mantua has chosen Pitti Uomo as the place to celebrate its hundredth anniversary with a multi-media event at the Limonaia in the Gardens of Villa Vittoria, an exhibition – that will be open during Pitti Uomo – and a capsule collection dedicated to the hundred year old combination of sartorial tradition and contemporary art.

THE NEW PERFORMERS’ EVENTS

- FABIO QUARANTA
Winner of the WHO IS ON NEXT? UOMO 2010 competition in the “prêt à porter” category, Fabio Quaranta will present the international preview of his men’s collection for the 2011-2012 fall/winter season with a fashion show at the CANGO – Cantieri Goldonetta in Florence at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday 12 January.

- ANDREA INCONTRI
Andrea Incontri, winner of the “accessories” category in the WHO IS ON NEXT? UOMO 2010 competition will present the international preview of his collection AI_ fall-winter 2011-2012 during a special event, at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, 13 January at the Cinema Odeon in Florence.

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The Trussardi Group will be the star of the special event at the next edition of Pitti Immagine Uomo to be held in Florence from 11 to 14 January 2011. The multi-part event – fashion, art, design and food – will mark the start of the year dedicated to international celebrations of the group’s one hundredth anniversary.

“I am very interested in and pleased by the direction that Trussardi has taken in the past few years under Beatrice Trussardi’s leadership, by Milan Vukmirovic’s creative contribution to the fashion side and Massimiliano Gioni’s work for the Fondazione Nicola Trussardi”, says Raffaello Napoleone the Pitti Immagine CEO. “They form a young, motivated team with broad vision and an ability to create contemporary products and projects combining marketing, communications and culture. We feel very close to them and are happy that we found the right occasion to work together. The City of Florence has also responded enthusiastically and will help us find the spaces to present the entire Trussardi program. This is yet another reason that will make Pitti Uomo 79 an event not to miss”.

As more than ten years now, TRANSFERCS will be available during all the Pitti days in Florence to drives its clients to the show, events and parties around the town, you may book your limousine with chauffeur as soon you are sure to come to the Pitti to being drived in Florence during one of the busiest and exciting week of the year 2011 !

The Genres of Painting:
Landscape, Still Life & Portrait Paintings

The exhibition From the Collections of the Uffizi Gallery. The Genres of Painting: Landscape, Still Life & Portrait Paintings is a unique and exceptional event that will display no less than 82 works from the Uffizi Gallery in museums in five different Chinese cities for an overall period of 18 months, starting with the famous Shanghai Museum.
The project stems from the international collaboration between Contemporanea Progetti and the China Italy Museum League (Beijing) Culture Media Co.Ltd., companies specialised in the organisation of itinerant shows and cultural events, and has materialised through the fundamental support of the Ministry for the Cultural Heritage, the Soprintendenza Speciale per il Patrimonio Storico, Artistico ed Etnoantropologico e per il Polo Museale della città di Firenze, and the Uffizi Gallery.

The exhibition, curated by Antonio Natali, Director of the Uffizi, is conceived as an occasion of cultural encounter and exchange between the two peoples and an opportunity to promote the Italian heritage in China, a noble country rich in traditions that has always been fascinated and intrigued by western art and culture.

The 82 works, selected from the repositories of the Gallery on the basis of the general theme of the Genres of Painting, and broken down into three main sections – Landscapes, Still Lifes and Portraits – cover a broad time span ranging from the late 15th to the second half of the 20th century, mapping out a clear and insightful itinerary that illustrates figurative expression in Italy and Europe over these centuries, thanks also to the large number of artists, over 50, represented in the exhibition. Among the selected works, all of the greatest prestige and cultural calibre, particularly famous are Botticelli’s Adoration of the Magi, Venus and Cupid with a Partridge by Titian and Tintoretto’s Leda and the Swan. Chinese visitors will have the chance to admire in their own country works by the great masters of European, Italian and Florentine art, including Lorenzo di Credi, Guercino, Filippo Napoletano, Claude Lorrain, Francesco Albani, Canaletto, Gaspar van Wittel, Bartolomeo Bimbi, through to the more recent artists Giulio Aristide Sartorio and Giacomo Balla.