by Cristina Fontanelli
Arezzo. The City of Vasari: an engaging exhibition program to glorify a pioneering 16th century intellectual. This year marks the 450th anniversary of the death of Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) and Arezzo, his hometown, proudly celebrates the memory of this illustrious fellow citizen, an influential protagonist of the late Renaissance age. Prodigious architect, famous painter, but also writer and precursor of art history as an autonomous discipline, Giorgio Vasari is commemorated in the year 2024 with an extensive program of cultural events and first-rate events: exhibition installations, book presentations, workshops for the little ones, and collateral initiatives that include itineraries in the area, as well as musical shows and theatrical performances. “The city is preparing to experience a special year – declared the Mayor of Arezzo Alessandro Ghinelli, with a rich program of events of great artistic, cultural and scientific level and with some exceptional exhibitions, a unique opportunity to admire the most significant works of the Master”.
The official start of the Vasari celebrations takes place at the municipal library of the city of Arezzo where an interesting bibliographic exhibition has just been inaugurated which is divided into five sections. This initiative, curated by Elisa Boffa, entitled “For glory of art and honor of the creators: Vasari immortal writer and artist”, synergistically involves a network of archives, museums, galleries and libraries located throughout the city, institutions which to the public they offer the opportunity to view very rare documentary treasures; a precious corpus of manuscripts, prints and books (both ancient and modern) in which the life and work of Giorgio Vasari is masterfully reconstructed, the acclaimed author of the monumental treatise of the “Lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors and architects”, a work for which he is considered the first art historian.
To lovers of Renaissance art, we would like to point out that “Giorgio Vasari. The theater of Virtues”, an exhibition of international interest, curated by Cristina Acidini Luchinat in collaboration with Alessandra Baroni, in which exceptional works from collections in various locations, both national and foreign, will be exhibited. In this specific context, following allegorical themes, between sacred and profane, it will be possible to observe symbolic artefacts live (including the Chimera of Arezzo, a fabulous Etruscan bronze work), as well as drawings and paintings made by G. Vasari himself and by others artists of his time; to the general public, historic manuscripts, letters and printed books kept by the Vasari Archive will also be presented in this same venue.
Again in Arezzo, three new important exhibitions dedicated to Vasari will take place from next autumn (open until February 2025): at the State Archives there will be “Building an image of oneself: Giorgio Vasari through his papers”; while the National Museum of Medieval and Modern Art will host “Something out of common use. The banquet for the wedding of Esther and Ahasuerus by Giorgio Vasari”; at the Casa Vasari (historic home of the Arezzo genius) the exhibition “Drawing was the imitation of the most beautiful of Nature…” will be set up. The “Arezzo. The city of Vasari”, inaugurated in May 2024, includes ten exhibitions and is organized and promoted by the Municipality of Arezzo, the Uffizi Museums, the CR Firenze Foundation together with the Guido d’Arezzo Foundation, a body chaired by the Mayor of Arezzo Alessandro Ghinelli and directed by Lorenzo Cinatti. The Scientific Committee, directed by Carlo Sisi, includes members Cristina Acidini Luchinat, Alessandra Baroni, Anna Bisceglia, Eliana Carrara, Stefano Casciu, Alessandro Cecchi, Laura Donati, Carlo Falciani, Massimiliano Rossi, Simone Verde.
For more information on current and future programs you can consult the website: www.fondazioneguidodarezzo.com
