Italy

Daniele da Volterra, detail of Michelangelo Buonarroti, circa 1545. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gift of Clarence Dillon, 1977.
Michelangelo: Exploring the Master's Art and Life
Known as the Renaissance's greatest sculptor, Michelangelo was often commissioned to apply his talents to other mediums such as painting and architecture.
Marco Almaviva in 1973 at Galleria Amaltea.
Exploring the Meaning of the Archive for Marco Almaviva
For our third piece on Marco Almaviva, we explore the meaning of the archive.
The entrance of the cemetery and the Famedio (at centre). Photo by Dani Vander Horst.
The Monumental Cemetery of Milan

The monumental cemetery of Milan (Cimitero Monumentale) is among the famous and iconic …

Terracotta statues from the sanctuary of Minerva at Lavinium (supposedly founded by Aeneas). Fourth to third centuries BC (2)
Aeneas’s Journey in Ancient Italy

Greater attention is often paid to the causes of wars than to their aftermath. The Boston Tea Party of 1773 is immortalized in paintings, but the resettlement…

‘Madonna Enthroned’ by Andrea Briosco detto il Riccio (end of the fifteenth century), with picture of the terracotta statue following its recovery in May 1945.
Saving Italian Art from World War II Destruction

In the late 1930s, the skies across Europe darkened as the world prepared for war. Beyond the efforts to save civilians in…

Archaeologists at the Pompeii Archaeological Park stand within the first-floor bedroom in the house of the lararium. Credit: Archaeological Park of Pompeii.
Middle-Class Dwellings Found at Pompeii

Over the summer, excavators at Pompeii made an insightful and critical discovery…

Coffered pattern mosaic, 1st century BC.
Rarely Seen Ancient Mosaics on Show in Rome
Mosaics adorned the floors, walls, and ceilings of public and domestic buildings. The best mosaics go beyond mere decoration; they are masterpieces of design and execution.
The market building (foreground) and Basilica (background) at Saepinum
Want to See an Ancient Roman City? Don't go to Rome.
Although there are innumerable monuments and open archaeological areas across Rome, most of the ancient city still lies underneath the modern one, making it very difficult to get an overall sense of…
Still from Progetto 'Share Art': particolare dell’alert anti Covid 2. It shows a quest looking at an artwork that is accompanied by one of ShareArt's recording devices.
Project ShareArt uses AI to Gauge How Attractive Art Is
Italy’s Project ShareArt will collect data on the “attraction value” of particular artworks and enforce COVID-19 guidelines through a combination of artificial intelligence, big data applications,…
Still from Archaeological collection returned to Italy with Eurojust support. Eurojust Youtube video.
Italian Art Police Recover 782 Stolen Archeological Finds
The items—worth an estimated $13 million (11 million euros)—were discovered in the possession of a Belgian collector. This repatriation comes as a result of an international investigation that was…
Amphorae in the process of excavation in Region V
The Undiscovered Areas of Pompeii
These liminal areas have been the focus of attention in recent years and the surprising setting for a thrilling revival of excavation in Pompeii. Not since the 1980s has there been an archaeological…
exterior view of Carabinieri Art Squad Headquarters
Stolen Statue Rediscovered by Off-Duty Carabinieri in Antique Shop
Mid-April, Italian authorities announced the rediscovery of a first-century Roman statue, missing for nearly a decade. Two off-duty art policemen spotted the artwork while perusing a Belgian antique…
rendered with dark metal, this sculpture shows Morgante in the heroic nude, expertly riding a dragon as if directly out of a mythological tale.Giambologna, The Dwarf Morgante Riding on a Dragon, 18th Century. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons. r
Morgante: Depictions of a Renaissance Jester Turned Duke
Bartolo—known better as Morgante—was the sharp and quick-witted “buffoon” of Cosimo I’s court (1537 to 1569). In 1555, Cosimo I granted Morgante a ducal privilege in which he is defined as “our most…
Lynda is seen in dark room, looking at shelf packed with documents.
Art Crime Expert Lynda Albertson Talks Lot 448 Documentary
ARCA CEO Lynda Albertson is the star of a new documentary short directed by Bella Monticelli, Lot 448, that premiered February 1 at the Tribeca Film Festival. In it, she is shown tracking an Etruscan…
Bringing Looted Etruscan Art Home
The richness of Etruscan artistry is currently on show in an exhibition at Museo Centrale Montemartini in Rome. The Colors of the Etruscans brings together a superb series of terracotta frescos and…