The Università dell'Età Libera and Liceo Artistico di Porta Romana open the group exhibition of engravings "Florence, Yesterday" on Friday, June 20th.

Details - 23 original copperplate engravings on display at the Istituto de' Bardi. Date: June 19, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes, 11 seconds

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Press Release - City of Florence

23 original copperplate engravings on display from Friday, June 20, 2025 (opening at 6:30 PM) at the Istituto de' Bardi Foundation, located at Via dei Michelozzi 2 in the Santo Spirito area of ​​Florence. The group exhibition of engravings is titled "Florence, Yesterday..." and stems from an investigation of places and monuments that no longer exist or have been significantly altered over time.

The works were created in recent months during the undergraduate and graduate courses at the University of the Free Age (UEL) of the Municipality of Florence, and during the short courses offered by the Porta Romana State Art School, as well as during the regular workshop activities that have been taking place in the laboratories and with the teachers of the Florentine high school for over 30 years.

The works on display are by Alessandra Ceccarelli, Antonio Magnelli, Barbara Fontana, Beatrice Parigi, Carla Fusi, Clarissa La Viola, Franca Cini, Ilenia Girella, Jennifer Giachi, Laura Felici, Maria Chiara Cecconi, Maria Donatella Pieraccini, Massimo Tassinari, Paola Sardone, Patrizia Gabellini, Roberta Bandinelli, Roberto Nannicini, Sabine Blomqvist, Salvatore Pagliarello, Stefano Milazzo, Tamara Valkama, Tiziana Bucci, and Ursula Giachi.

The "Printmaking" course, which encompasses the project, is taught by Professor Roberto Nannicini, who for 42 years taught "xylo, cast, and litho" in the historical Graphic Arts department of the Porta Romana Art School.

"A beautiful and interesting exhibition, the result of the collaboration between our University of the Free Age and the Porta Romana Art School," says Councilor for Education and Training Benedetta Albanese. "Since its founding in 1983, the University of the Free Age has been a fundamental pillar of the cultural and social growth of our community. The fruit of the collaboration between the City Council and the University of Florence, it offers a valuable opportunity to anyone wishing to access new knowledge and skills that enrich not only the individual, but society as a whole."

The works on display are primarily created using traditional techniques such as etching, aquatint, soft wax, and drypoint. However, there are also so-called "experimental" methods combined with mixed techniques and those that are difficult to control, such as sealing wax and gum printing. Thanks to their acquired mastery of the engraved mark, many have also experimented with eco-sustainable and non-toxic solutions. They work primarily on zinc or copper matrices, but also on other supports such as aluminum sheets, tin, or alternative and reusable matrices such as Forex, Tetrapak, and other plastic materials.

The works often feature black and white, a characteristic of etching techniques, but color is also sought after, as are the various graphic effects resulting from the knowledge acquired over time.

Regarding the subjects, the investigation revolves around the historical period of Florence, before the urban and architectural redevelopment of the city center and the preceding period linked to the restructuring of "Florence as Capital of Italy." The locations are those familiar to Florentines, such as the Mercato Vecchio area and the adjacent Jewish Ghetto, Ponte alle Grazie, with its characteristic cloistered nuns' houses, Ponte Leopoldo with its neoclassical pylons, the Maria Antonia station, and many others, including some lesser-known ones, such as the Arco dei Pizzicotti, the small church of Santa Maria Vergine on Ponte alle Grazie, the Porticciola in Piazza d'Arno, and the Torrino del Maglio, to name a few.

The works are the entirely personal reworkings of each individual participant, who relied on iconographic material such as historical photographs, old prints, or pictorial images. A singular diversity in the approach to engraving can be seen in the works, the result of a consolidated personalization, which differentiates the authors in their original and interesting proposals.

The recognizable subjects are freely interpreted through the characteristic handwriting typical of intaglio engraving, enriched by the artist's sensitivity, creativity, and personal visual language.

The exhibition continues until June 29, 2025, with visits by appointment.

For more information: https://www.istitutodebardi.org