The Collections – Busts
“Talking” busts donated by the Romualdo Del Bianco Foundation: a program to contribute to Italianism in the world as an instrument of diplomacy, dialogue,and friendship among peoples
“…promote, establish, develop and carry out, initiatives, ……., to enhance, hand down, disseminate and preserve the cultural, artistic, historical and scientific heritage of Florence andTuscany … thus fostering mutual knowledge, friendship, and understanding to contribute fromFlorence to peace among countries and peoples of different nationalities, religions and ethnicities.”
It is from this phrase in the Foundation’s Statute to describe its institutional purposes, that is inspired the program of donations of marble busts depicting eminent Florentine, Tuscan (and Italian) personalities: Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo Galilei, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Dante Alighieri, Cesare Beccaria. Since 2008 to date, 24 cultural and educational institutions from 12 countries have received one of these gifts as a tangible sign of friendship and a spur to continue the collaboration to help sublimate art and culture as powerful tools to bring younger generationscloser to respect and intercultural dialogue.
A program at the same time recognized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the network of Italian Embassies in the countries concerned, which have never failed to provide institutional and – in some cases – operational support.
From the year 2022, the program will develop in two directions:
– on the one hand will continue donations of busts to new institutions around the world that have sincerely shared and implemented the Foundation’s principles of intercultural dialogue (South Moravian at the City of Brno-October 2022, City of Rabat-December 2022)
– on the other hand, all busts even those previously donated will be equipped with a special QR code that will permanently allow any interested observer to know the details of the donation, the work and the figure represented, to testify in a prestigious context (universities, libraries, museums) the high contribution that Italian Culture has been able to give to human, cultural andcivil progress of the whole world. This interactive methodology will make these busts “talking,” going to build a worldwide interconnected network that will actively make the work of art an instrument of deepening, interaction and dialogue between cultures and Italy the bearer countryof such fundamental values.
Here the book of the busts.
Leonardo Da Vinci
Creator of the imaginable
During its activity, the Romualdo del Bianco Foundation® has donated to 10 universities and cultural institutions around the world a white carrara marble bust depicting Leonardo da Vinci “creator of the imaginable” to enlighten young minds in their formative path in the name of creativity, ingenuity and absolute genius.
It is exposed in Moscow, Tblisi, Baku, Florence, Yerevan, Ivanovo, Almaty, Bishkek and in Wisconsin.
Galielo Galilei
Observer of the skies
“Donations
During its activity, the Romualdo Del Bianco Foundation® has donated to 4 local administrations a white Carrara marble bust depicting Galileo Galilei “Observer of the skies” as a wish for farsightedness and determination in their convictions with which local public authorities are called to respond in the daily administration and enhancement of their territories.”
It is exposed in Florence, Kyoto, Kracow, Rabat and Benevento.
Michelangelo Buonarroti
On the occasion of celebrations of particularly significant moments for the receiver institutions, the Romualdo Del Bianco Foundation has donated to 4 educational and cultural institutions a white Carrara marble bust depicting Michelangelo, who is one of the symbols of the Italian artistic genius in the world, in order to seal the friendship and collaboration already existing for some time.
It is exposed in Florence, Varsavia, Kracow, Manama and Chisinau.
Dante Alighieri
Donation to the Russian State Library
On 2021 recurred the 700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri’s death and the 100th anniversary of the birth of the library, for this reasons the Romualdo Del Bianco Foundation donated to the State Library of Foreign Literature in Moscow a white Carrara marble bust depicting Dante Alighieri, to celebrate both anniversaries. The event was sponsored by the MIBACT-National Committee for the celebration of the 700 years since the death of Dante Alighieri and the Italian Embassy in Moscow.
It is exposed in Moscow
Cesare Beccaria
“L’albero i cui buoni frutti danno vita alla vita”
“The tree whose good fruits give life to life.”
The Foundation has chosen to have a Carrara marble bust depicting the illustrious jurist Cesare Beccaria and to donate it to the Council of Europe on the occasion of the Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (November 2021-May 2022 ). There is a link between Beccaria’s ideas and the main objectives of the Council of Europe (CoE), such as the prevention of torture and the abolition of the death penalty. Choosing Cesare Beccaria was therefore not accidental, but expressed the desire to pay homage to a distinguished Italian personality, who with his ideas influenced the politics of his time and anticipated the values that today inspire the major international conventions.
It is exposed in Strasburg.