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Independent, dynamic and capable, Eleonora di Toledo (1522–1562) was one of the most important and influential female figures of the Renaissance. Daughter of the powerful Viceroy of Naples, Don Pedro Alvarez de Toledo, she married Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519–1574) at a very young age.
A deep love and

It is said that Raphael was a skilled seducer and that Bernini once tried to kill his brother in a fit of jealousy after discovering his relationship with his lover, Costanza Bonarelli. It seems that Manet and Degas were in love with the same woman, which may have contributed to

Hair, especially women’s hair, has attracted interest across many periods and cultures. Short or long, loose or styled, displayed or covered, fashion reflects religious and political norms, social conventions, and becomes a visible language of identity and belonging. In the Renaissance, hairstyles became increasingly varied and elaborate, and women adopted

“There is a young man from Cento who paints with such felicity of invention, is a great draughtsman and a most skilful colourist…” With these words Ludovico Carracci (1555–1619) described in a letter the talent of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, known as Guercino (1591–1666). Born in Cento, near Ferrara, Guercino showed

Human beings have always shaped the earth: clay, water, air and fire are the ingredients of an age-old tradition born for practical purposes but soon enriched by aesthetic intentions. Since antiquity, vases and other containers have been decorated with ornamental motifs, mythological stories, allegories and graphic elements reflecting the tastes

He was the master of the Ferrarese Renaissance, yet his memory was lost for centuries, and even today we know very little about him and his training. Cosmè Tura – a multifaceted artist at the Este court during the second half of the fifteenth century – managed to blend the

It is well known that artists are often able to detect and interpret a shared feeling before it becomes widely recognised. This is precisely what happened with the Avant-garde movements of the 20th century: a succession of cultural movements which, in the early years of the century, gave voice to

A curious recurrence happily marks Italian culture: the presence of at least two Dantes among the most significant figures of its past and present. The Divine Poet, author of the celebrated Commedia; and Dante Ferretti, an award-winning set and costume designer who has worked alongside directors such as Pier Paolo

Long – and wrongly – regarded as a “minor art”, miniature painting is one of the most refined and exquisite artistic expressions of ancient, medieval and Renaissance Europe. Less known to the general public than its “major sisters” (painting, sculpture and architecture), it is a precious testimony to the skill

Wunderkammer, cabinets de curiosités, chambers of wonders: from the late Renaissance onwards, this is how domestic spaces devoted to the gathering and display of natural specimens, artefacts and curious objects came to be known. Mysterious and fascinating places, they expressed a unique form of scientific collecting, from which today’s natural

Independent artist, advertising graphic designer, author of books for children and adults, inventor of industrial products and of the Macchine inutili: during his long and prolific career, Bruno Munari (1907–1998) was everything and its opposite. Driven by unquenchable curiosity and boundless imagination, he succeeded in merging fantasy and ingenuity, creative