Exhibited
along with other trasures
in the Uffizi Gallery
and moved to the Palazzo
della Crocetta, the
present day seat of
the museum, in 1888
(the building was erected
in 1620 by Giulio Parigi).
The main core of the
collection focuses
on etruscan civilisation
thet interested in
particular Cosimo the
Eldest of the Medici
family. But it was
the Gran Duke Cosimo
I who to put together
the currently existing
collection in 16th
century, though these
were later increased
by his successors (
and in particular by
Cardinal Leopoldo).
Downtime the collection
was enriched with famous
works like the Chimera
of Arezzo, the Minerva
of Arezzo and the Orator.
The bronze Chimera
of Arezzo is one of
the best known examples
of the art of the Etruscans.
It was found in Arezzo,
an ancient Etruscan
and Roman city in Tuscany,
in 1553, during the
construction of the
fortifications on the
outskirts and was quickly claimed for the collection
of the Medici Grand Duke
of Tuscany, Cosimo I, who
placed it publicly in the
Palazzo Vecchio, and placed
the smaller bronzes from
the trove in his own studiolo
at Palazzo Pitti, where "the
Duke took great pleasure
in cleaning them by himself,
with some goldsmith's tools" Benvenuto
Cellini reported in his autobiography.
The collection was then continued by the Lorraine family that added the extraordinary collection of Egyptian pieces beside adding new pieces to the Etruscan section,which was organised by series and studied by the scholars of the Lorraine court.
Additions continued also
during the 19th century with
importand workslike the Sarcophagus
of the Amazons and the Larthia
Seianti. It was at this time
that a new section of Etruscan
Topography was created and
that the Etruscan sculptures
and small and large bronzes
were added.
In addition to the above-mentioned
works setting some
time aside to visit
the section dedicated
to the lavish assortment
of Etruscan jewels.
|
The
Egyptian Museum, which
is second only to the
famous museum in Turin,
takes up some of the
rooms of the Archeological
Museum. The first group
of Agyptian antiquities
was put together in
the 17th century to
include also pieces
that had been collected
by the Medici, although
it was significantly
increased during the
18th century by Leopoldo
II, Grand Duke of Tuscany,
who purchased new collections
and financed, together
with Charles X, King
of France, a scientific
expedition to Egypt
in the years 1828 and
1829. The expedition
was directed by Jean
François Champollion,
the famous scholar
and interpreter of
hieroglyphics and by
Ippolito Rosellini
from Pisa, who would
soon become the father
of Egyptian studies
in Italy and a friend
and disciple of Champollion.
After the return of
the expedition, the
numerous objects collected
during the expedition
and during excavations
of archeological sites
or purchased by local
merchants, were equally
divided between Florence
and the Louvre.
The Egyptian Museum
of Florence was officially
established in 1855.
In 1880 the Piedmontese
Egyptian scholar
Ernesto Schiaparelli
, who was to become
the director of the
Egyptian Museum of
Turin, was assigned
the task of transfering
and organising the
Egyptian antiquities
in the present day
location, which is
also seat of the
Archeological Museum.
Schiapparelli suitably
increased the collections
of the Museum with
objects found during
his personal excavation
campaigns and purchased
in Egypt before his
final transfer to
Turin. The last group
of works acquired
by the Egyptian Museum
of Florence includes
pieces donated to
the State by private
contributors and
scientific institutions.
Today the Museum exhibits
over 14,000 pieces,
displayed in nine rooms
and two warehouses.
The exhibition rooms
have been totally renewed.
The old layout of Schiaparelli
has now been replaced
by the new one arranged,
when possible, according
to a chronological
and topographic order.
The collection comprises
material that ranges
from the prehistoric
age down to the age
of Copta, with several
groups of steles, vases,
amulets and bronze
pieces of different
ages.
The most remarkable
pieces are some statues
dating back to the
age of Amenofi III,
the chariot of the
18th dynasty, the pillar
of the tomb of Sety
I, the cup of Fayence
with square mouth and
the belongings of the
wet nurse of the daughter
of Pharao Taharqa,
the woman portrait
of Fayum, the collection
of fabrics belonging
to the Copt Age and
an important group
of chalk moulds dating
back to the end of
the 19th.
The museum now has a permanent staff including two professional egyptologists. |
|
