The Great Italian Collections

Catalog description

Italy is not only the place where some of the earliest and most important art collections were established, but over centuries their concepts and principles have been reflected, changed and refined. Today Italy boasts some of the largest and most significant art collections in the world. The course focuses on three major collections in three cities, each of which was built across several centuries: the Medici in Florence, the Borghese in Rome, and the Farnese and Bourbon in Naples. Classroom lectures and discussion will be integrated with site visits in the museums, which were built to showcase the artistic treasures in immersive ways. The students will discover how art served to build family brands, and how collections formed part of social communication. They will also discover how collecting was part of a larger system of cultural diplomacy that shaped global politics.