Exploring Light(ness) in Ceramics: Studio Visit with Antonella Cimatti
Step into the world of Antonella Cimatti, a renowned ceramicist hailing from the historic town of Faenza, Italy. In this exclusive studio visit, we delve into the heart of her creative process, where traditional craftsmanship meets innovative experimentation.
Antonella's artistic journey is a testament to her relentless pursuit of lightness, both in form and aesthetic. Inspired by creative, aesthetic, and design research, she crafts elegant and refined sculptures that transcend the boundaries of conventional ceramics.
Join us as Antonella takes us through her unconventional process, where every creation is born from a dialogue between past tradition and present innovation. Experience the magic of lightness with Antonella Cimatti in this mesmerizing studio visit and subscribe to our YouTube for an inside look into the world of contemporary ceramic artistry.
Visit Antonella Cimatti's website for more information: CLICK HERE
Ceramic Guide to Faenza, Italy
Photo courtesy: Raffaele Tassinari
WHERE TO STAY?
In Faenza, there are several Airbnbs, apartments, farmhouses and hotels where you can stay and find a nice room at a reasonable price. Check this link for options. The oldest and most famous hotel in the city is Hotel Vittoria, a medium-high-range Art Noveau hotel at a fair price, which is located in the center of town and was designed in the early twentieth century.
TRANSPORT
The city is not very big and easily accessible by foot, however, there's a free eco-friendly public mini bus service in case you are staying a little outside the center or want to visit studios further away.
Furthermore, there is also a free public bicycle service C’entro in Bici or several private rental services with a good variety and selection of bicycles.
Photo courtesy: Raffaele Tassinari
DAY 1:
10:00am: International Museum of Ceramics
When you're in Faenza, the first thing to do is visit the International Museum of Ceramics with its large exhibition spaces dedicated to Italian and European production from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century. It also boasts chief examples from pre-Columbian America, Classical Greece, the Roman age, the Near and Middle East, and Islam. Specific sections host some of the most important twentieth century and contemporary Italian and foreign artists.
There is a specialized library and a workshop dedicated to the Bruno Munari method of “Playing with Art,” and a restoration laboratory to maintain the collection and more broad conservation efforts - an essential point of contact for the highly specialized technical and technological requirements of ceramics. The Museum has published the magazine "Faenza" since 1913.
In the bookshop, you’ll find all the Museum's publications, a wide range of ceramics books, and a selection of ceramic objects produced by Faenza artisans. The Museum is huge and the visit, depending on your interests, could take the whole day. We recommend taking a pre-visit virtual tour here
Photo courtesy: Raffaele Tassinari
Photo courtesy: Raffaele Tassinari
1:00 PM: LUNCH
Near the Museum, there are some restaurants serving traditional Romagnolo cuisine. Lo Zingarò, located in the historic Ferniani Palace, with outdoor dining in summer is a favorite. For a quick lunch, with vegetarian options, try Frankie in front of the Museum.
6:00 PM: Ready for a snack or aperitif?
Go to the main square, “Piazza del Popolo”, for a great selection of bars and cafés serving typical “aperitivo”, or ice cream shops, for delicious gelato. It’s a perfect opportunity to see the beautiful town square, the Cathedral, the clock tower and the monumental fountain.
Photo courtesy: Raffaele Tassinari
Photo courtesy: Raffaele Tassinari
7:00pm: Dinner
Also in the main square, you can opt for a relaxed bite to eat either at the Bistrò Rossini or at the Enoteca Astorre. For a more complete dinner, you can go to the Osteria della Marianaza (Via Torricelli 25) - a rustic tavern where the Faenza tradition of homemade tagliatelle and grilled meat has been maintained since the 19th century.
Photo courtesy: Raffaele Tassinari
In the evening, the square is a pleasant place to stay for an ice cream or a drink. From June to September, there are events and concerts. In June, the medieval Jousting tournament with the flag-wavers is not to be missed, while in September, be sure to check out the street artists festival and alternating ceramics fairs “Argillà” or “Made in Italy.” In October, there is an independent label music festival called MEI. Listen to music at the disco: Le Scimmie Di Faenza is open from November to May.
Photo courtesy: Raffaele Tassinari
Day 2
10:00 AM: Zauli Museum
On your second day, fully immerse yourself in ceramics with a visit to the laboratories, studios, and shops in the center. Begin at the Zauli Museum in via della Croce, (closed on Sundays and Mondays). Be sure to check out their website for opening hours. This Museum is interesting because it offers an impressive anthology of one of the 20th century’s greatest ceramic sculptors, Carlo Zauli.
Zauli has been internationally known since the late 1950s and his work can be found in thirty-six museums around the world. The Zauli Museum is located in the artist’s actual studio, which has also been a mecca for other great artists, in the latter half of the 20th century.
Visitors to the Museum will discover the process of an artist who transitioned from ceramist to sculptor without ever betraying his roots. The studio-workshop portion of the itinerary is not to be missed: from the clay storage area to the glaze room, from the kiln room to the large relief room, where a clump of earth became a sculpture.
Photo courtesy: Cristina Bagnara
11:00 AM: La Vecchia Faenza
In Via Sant 'Ippolito, 23/A (just steps from the Zauli Museum), there is the La Vecchia Faenza workshop. Since 1968, it has been producing hand-painted artistic majolica with traditional Faenza decorations, as well as one-of-a-kind "Raffaellesca" pieces and paintings with floral patterns. Beyond the beautiful exhibition, you can also visit the actual laboratory where various types of artistic ceramics are made.
Photo courtesy: Raffaele Tassinari
12:00 PM: Atelier Antonella Cimatti
Nearby, in Corso Garibaldi 16, be sure to make an appointment to visit artist Antonella Cimatti’s Atelier. Cimatti’s light installations using porcelain with advanced ceramic materials, LEDs, and optical fibers are described as elegant and weightless as she perfects a harmonious balance of porcelain and light.
Photo courtesy: Raffaele Tassinari
1:00pm: Lunch
Just minutes away on foot, you can go to the market in the Piazza del Popolo, great for vegetarians alike.
Photo courtesy: Raffaele Tassinari
Photo courtesy: Ceramica Gatti
2:30 PM: Ceramica Gatti
Continuing on with our workshop itinerary, about 20 minutes away (by foot) from the center, is the historic Ceramica Gatti workshop, which is a must to visit (Via Pompignoli, 2/4).
Founded in 1928 by Riccardo Gatti in Faenza, this ceramic art workshop has been characterized by its diligent search for innovative techniques and approaches and by its prolific production of unique works. Distinctive features of the workshop's activity include its dedication to hand-crafted majolica production, interaction with various artists and designers over the years, and fruitfully enriching all of the artisans involved.
These rewarding collaborations have bolstered their capacity for listening and interpreting fundamental qualities to guarantee fruitful alliances between creators and artisans. The list of collaborations is long and precious, from the first collaborations with the futurists to those with Bruno Munari and then Gio Ponti, Ettore Sottsass, Carla Accardi, Luigi Ontani, Ugo La Pietra, Mimmo Paladino, Alessandro Mendini, Liliana Moro, and Stefano Arienti.
Just as precious is the mark that they have all left and continue to leave on Gatti’s ceramists. As any authentic artisan workshop, Ceramica Gatti is a versatile reality, a place of cultural transmission and values, of intersections between disciplines, of views on reality, of passion, and a meeting point between different expertise.
In 1998, a permanent museum was inaugurated in the historic premises of the workshop, where the public can admire an invaluable retrospective collection of the rarest ceramic works created by Riccardo Gatti starting from 1908.
Returning to the center: continue along Corso Mazzini where you’ll find four ceramic studios, all very close to one another. You can also visit the shop Spazio Ceramica Faenza, via Pistocchi 16, where you can see a collection of all the Faenza ceramists, even those whose studios are further away.
4:00 PM: Fiorenza Pancino
Via S. Filippo Neri, 2 - While Fiorenza Pancino loves ceramics, she is also known to dabble in other mediums such as video, photography, and materials such as paper and fabric.
Photo courtesy: Fiorenza Pancino
4:30 PM: Elvira Keller
Corso Giuseppe Mazzini, 63 - Elvira Keller works with stoneware and majolica, producing functional wares, personalized pieces, ceramic sculptures, and site-specific private and public installations.
Photo courtesy: Chiara Casanova
5:00 PM: Mirta Morigi Bottega
Mirta Morigi Bottega’s laboratory is in Via Barbavara, 19/4, and her Gallery Mi.Mo is in Corso Mazzini 64/B. Mirta Morigi produces highly communicative hand-made ceramics pieces, characterized by an unmistakable pop flare. Her objects have bright and provocative colors typical of majolica.
Photo courtesy: Federica Cioccoloni
5:30 PM: Ceramiche Lega
Corso Mazzini, 74/c - Carla Lega began modeling and decorating ceramic objects in 1975, alongside her father Leandro, inserting her skillful manual ability into the Faenza tradition, but with a distinctly modern and individual signature - spiced up with the use of reduction luster. In another area, just outside the center, you can also find the Lega Ceramics Museum.
6:00 PM: Care for an aperitif?
Not too far from Ceramiche Lega, you can stop by Infantini Cafè or Nove100 Caffè in Corso Mazzini 69/A to have a drink or a tasty snack.
7:00 PM: Dinner
For dinner you can eat at Osteria Ristorante La Baita for an exceptional food experience, accompanied by an excellent selection of wines.For a vegetarian or vegan dinner, you can go to Il Clan Destino, right next to the International Ceramics Museum.
Day 3
Photo courtesy: Raffaele Tassinari
9:00: Faenza Art Ceramic Center
The FACCspace aims to be a space for experimentation and creativity, without the distractions of everyday life. It’s a hub of internationals and professionals and a center that organizes courses and residencies, for both local and international artists.
While you are in the area, you can take the opportunity to visit Palazzo Muky Matteucci. Muky (1926-2022) was a painter, sculptor, ceramist, and poet who dedicated her life to art and the promotion of the arts. Born in Trento, she moved to Faenza in 1955 where she attended the School of Ceramic Art and met Domenico Matteucci, the man who would radically change her life.
The two shared an artistic partnership that would last until Matteucci's death in 1991. Muky brought vitality and a new artistic voice, linked to the informal and black-and-white stylistic features of those times.
At the end of the 1960s, she started a cultural cenacle in the Loggetta del Trentanove, a unique space for artistic, literary, intellectual, musical, and theological meetings, breathing new life to the city of Faenza.
When Muky left this world on 7 January 2022, she left her home in Faenza, including the Loggetta del Trentanove and the Rotonda Gall, to the MIC Foundation with a very specific goal: the creation of a House Museum, dedicated to the history of the two artists and a Palace of Art, dedicated to international Artist Residencies.
Currently, the structure can be visited by reservation only. (Call MIC Faenza – 0546 697311 to schedule an appointment)
10:00 AM: Bottega Martha Pachon Rodriguez
Via Antonio Laghi, 51 A - In Bottega Martha Pachon Rodriguez's studio, you can see works on display and the production process. The artist works with porcelain to transform clay into delicate and colorful objects.
Photo courtesy: Raffaele Tassinari
11:00 AM: Museo Leandro Lega
Via Fratelli Rosselli, 2 - Continuing for about 20 minutes by foot, you’ll reach the Museum containing the works of Leandro Lega.
11:30 AM: Museo Tramonti
Via Fratelli Rosselli, 8 - Not far from the Lega Museum, you can find the Museo Tramonti, which collects the works of Guerrino Tramonti who worked in Faenza from the 1920s-1980s.
Three options for your last day in Faenza:
1. Palazzo Milzetti - National Museum of the Neoclassical Age in Romagna
This stunning Neoclassical building is worth a visit because it’s the most extravagant and complete example of the decorative architecture which flourished in Faenza, making it a heritage treasure. Count Nicola Milzetti started its construction in 1792, with Faenza architect Giuseppe Pistocchi.
Alternatively, you can take a 20-minute train ride to spend the afternoon in Brisighella, a quaint medieval hamlet in the hills just outside Faenza (info for trains).
You can visit Via del Borgo or Via degli AsiniIt, an elevated road that receives light from the characteristic arched windows of different widths. Famous for its unique characteristics, it’s an architectural preciousness unique in the world.
Furthermore there is a walking path that leads from the center of the village to the clock tower.
3. Ravenna
Otherwise, just an hour away by train, you can spend half a day in Ravenna visiting the mosaics from the Byzantine era.
With the same ticket, you can also see other monuments in the city.
To explore more galleries, museums, design stores, and other destinations in Faenza and the rest of Italy, go to the CERAMIC WORLD DESTINATION MAP!
Contributors
Antonella Cimatti, former Professor at the Gaetano Ballardini Institute for Ceramics, is a ceramist artist who bases her poetics on creative, aesthetic and design research, in particular on innovative experimentation with contemporary techniques and advanced ceramic materials.
In 2011 she was invited to the 54th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, and in 2016-2017 to the Triennale Design Museum in Milan.
Claudia Casali received a Degree and PhD in Conservation of Cultural Heritage at Udine University. She was appointed as the Director of the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza (MIC) in February 2011 and in 2022 she became the manager of the Muky Matteucci House Museum.
Opinion leader for contemporary ceramic art, she participated in lectures and symposia for international realities and in museology masterclasses for museums in Central South America.
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Ceramic Guide - Rome
In this edition of 36 Hours, we give tips to key ceramic destinations in Rome. Rome has more than 120 museums and over 200 galleries so there’s an abundance of choice. Make sure to check the Ceramic World Destinations Map for more destinations in the city!
This list is based on Lori-Ann Touchette's experience living as an expat in the city for the past twenty-five years. Touchette is the Co-founder and Director of CRETA Rome.
Our international ceramics center, CRETA Rome hosts exhibitions of current resident artists 8-10 times a year. Check our website to see what is on or contact us for an appointment to stop by our studio.
Exibart, the database of current exhibitions in Italy will also list shows and any other openings each day.
Of course, mix it up as you wish!
For accommodation, there are a myriad of choices, from 5-star hotels to hostels and Airbnbs. We recommend monasteries for an authentic experience in the city. Try the Monastery Stay website and contact them directly for the best price. Be aware that some have curfews.
C.R.E.T.A. ROME - image courtesy of Lori-Ann Touchette
C.R.E.T.A. ROME - image courtesy of Lori-Ann Touchette
Day 1
The Heart of the Historical Center
3 PM: Palazzo Venezia + elevator of the Vittoriano
Begin in the heart of historical Rome with the Museo del Palazzo Venezia. In the section dedicated to ceramics, a long corridor of Asian and European porcelains leads to the area dedicated to Italian Renaissance maiolica including a complete set of pharmacy albarelli.
Beyond is an extraordinary collection of terracotta maquettes by the Baroque masters Bernini, Algardi, and later 18th-century sculptors. Don’t miss the ceramic pavements produced in the time of Mussolini’s occupation of the palace that conjoin Renaissance and Fascist imagery.
Museo del Palazzo Venezia
Museo del Palazzo Venezia
4 PM: Secret Garden
Relax in the “secret garden” of the palazzo before taking advantage of your ticket that includes access to the panoramic views of Rome offered by the elevator to the top of the Victor Emanuele Monument (last entry 6:45pm).
Diagrams serve as guides to the monuments spanning centuries that extend in every direction: to the south: the Forum, Colosseum, and beyond to St John Lateran; the imperial forums and the Quirinale palace to the east; straight ahead, the domed roof of the Pantheon and the northern entrance to the city at Piazza del Popolo; the square dome of the synagogue, Trastevere and the Janiculum hill to the west.
Secret Garden
Secret Garden
5 PM: Musei Capitolini
Take the side stairs from the Victor Emanuele Monument to the Piazza del Campidoglio, the center of the Musei Capitolini complex, the oldest public museum in the world (last entrance 6:30pm). Alongside the important bronze and marble works, you will find Greek, Etruscan, and Roman pottery, including the oldest complete signature of a Greek artist, Aristonothos (“best bastard”) dated to 650 BC.
18th-cent. Volpato biscuit - Musei Capitolini
Terracotta architectural elements and sculptures are scattered around the oval exedra that houses the Marcus Aurelius bronze equestrian statue and several of the original donations of Pope Sixtus IV that constituted the foundation of the collection.
The last room of the Pinacoteca (picture gallery) on the first floor houses an extensive collection of Asian and European porcelains including Volpato’s works after the antique created for 18th-century Grand Tourists.
On your way to the Terrace cafe for a quick coffee or a Prosecco/Spritz don’t miss the reconstructed 2nd-century BC terracotta pediment.
TIP: A combination ticket includes the Centrale Montemartini, where antique statuary meets industrial archaeology in the first electrical plant in the city. Leave time to explore the Ostiense and Garbatella neighborhoods for street art and abundant restaurants.
2nd-cent BC terracotta pediment
terracotta architectural elements from the temple of San Omobono
8 PM: Dinner
From the top of the Capitoline Hill, wind your way down to the via dei Fori imperiali. The walk offers vistas over the imperial forums and extensions. As you walk towards the Colosseum, note the Renaissance kiln in the Forum of Trajan on your left.
Halfway down, turn via Cavour and keep your eyes peeled for the outdoor seating area of the pizzeria Alle Carette, tucked in an alley on the left. After an appetizer of suppli (fried rice balls) and fiori di zucche (fried zucchini flowers) indulge yourself on a Roman thin-crust pizza. Walk off the carbohydrates by heading to the illuminated Colosseum nearby.
If you prefer a restaurant meal in the historical center, there is a range of economical and selective options for dining including wine bars (the oldest, Cul de Sac, or Enoteca Corsi), or restaurants such as Renato e Luisa, il Ditirambio, La Quercia. For old-fashioned Italian food head to Settimio al Pellegrino, Da Tonino behind Chiesa Nuova, or d’Augustarello in old Trastevere.
Open Baladin, where craft beers were introduced to Italy, is a good choice if you are dying for a hamburger. If you want a fun place to stop for a glass of wine before/after dinner (most restaurants open at 7:30 p.m. at the earliest), il Vinaietto offers an extensive list of wines by the glass at reasonable prices. Not much seating, so clients spill out into the street.
Day 2:
Museo Nazionale Romano
(5 museums in all, a combination ticket gives you access to 5 different museums in 7 days, check the website for possible closures for restoration)
Elisabetta Benassi "Empire" from above - Palazzo Altemps
These museums open a bit later than most, so have a leisurely breakfast. Depending on where you are staying, opt for Caffè Greco (Spanish Steps), and Caffè Doria Pamphilji (the Corso). Our favorite is I Dolci di Nonna Vincenza (Campo dei Fiori) for Sicilian specialties and the plus is that there is no charge for seating.
Or if you are in Rome for the weekend, make a quick stop at the Mercato di Campagna Amica off Circus Maximus. This former’s market offers organic and local fares in a pleasant setting. From there you can walk back over Capitoline hill and down onto the via dei Fori Imperiali on your way to the first museum.
11 AM
The 2nd-century Roman bath complex of Diocletian (Terme di Diocleziano) has sections that focus on inscriptions and the early history and protohistory of Rome declined in terracotta ash urns in the form of vessels and huts. It includes a selection of terracotta votive sculptures, from body parts to 2/3 life-size seated females to larger-scaled busts of goddesses.
Make certain to visit the ancient halls of the bath filled with Roman sculptures and monuments and the cloister designed by Michelangelo.
Terme di Diocleziano
12:30 PM: The Museo dell’arte Salvata (Museum for Rescued Art)
You need to exit to visit the newest museum, founded in 2022.
The Museo dell’arte Salvata (Museum for Rescued Art) has changing exhibitions of works exported illegally and then repatriated. Most recently, the terracotta Sirens and Orpheus returned by the Getty Museum were a star attraction.
The Museo dell’arte Salvata (Museum for Rescued Art)
The Museo dell’arte Salvata (Museum for Rescued Art)
1 PM: Lunch break
Check out the Mercato Centrale in the Roma Termini train station with an array of choices from pasta to burgers to pizza washed down with a range of beverages.
Palazzo Massimo
3:00 PM: Palazzo Massimo
PALAZZO MASSIMO is across the street from the station, dedicated to important marble and bronze sculptures from the Republican and Imperial ages. Contemporary frescoes and mosaics fill the top floors. No ceramics here but an alternative to the Crypta Balbi (see below).
Head back to piazza Venezia and then wind your way through back roads to the Crypta Balbi (currently closed for restoration (2023), on the site of an Augustan-period theater that became a center of trade and production from the 5th through 9th centuries.
Excavations here changed the history of Medieval Rome as demonstrated by a range of storage jars (amphorae), fine wares, and a chronology of glazed pottery from the 7th through 18th centuries. The Mercati di Traiano Museo dei Fori Imperiali also has a splendid collection of amphorae displayed by typology.
MNR Crypta Balbi
MNR Crypta Balbi
4:00 PM: Hungry again?
Head to Campo dei Fiori where you can find filled focaccia sandwiches at the Forno di Campo dei Fiori to savour while seated on one of the fountains in piazza Farnese or if you prefer air-conditioned tables, order made-to-order sandwiches at the Ancient Pizzicheria Ruggeri.
4:30: (last entrance at 5pm, closes at 6pm)
The walk to the site of the seats of the National Museum of Rome, Palazzo Altemps, will take you through piazza Navona. This museum’s focus is on private collections from the Renaissance to the early 20th century.
In addition to famous Greco-Roman works from the Ludovisi collection and others, the ‘encyclopedic’ archaeological collection of Evan Gorga is of interest for its terracotta architectural elements and pottery. Don’t miss the excavations on the ground floor with the display cases filled with maiolica pottery.
Pass by the Pantheon on your way back to your hotel. Two of the best coffee spots are nearby: Sant' Eustachio Il Caffè for espresso or cappuccino; La Casa del Caffè Tazza d'Oro for granita di caffè (sugared iced expresso plus whipped cream).
Or if you prefer gelato, try Fata Morgana (Campo dei Fiori), Corona (Largo Argentina), Gelateria al Teatro (piazza Navona)
National Museum of Rome
8:00 PM:
The Jewish “Ghetto” is a perfect place to have a meal that transports you back to the origins of this community that considers itself the oldest in Europe. Tucked in a quiet piazza behind the main street of touristy restaurants, you will find Sora Margherita (reserve in advance). Try the “Carciofi alla Giudea” (fried artichoke) and pasta with ‘cacio pepe e ricotta’ (pecorino, black pepper, and ricotta). Their ricotta and visciola (sour cherry) cake is to die for (or do take away from Boccione in the main square.
Jewish “Ghetto”
Jewish “Ghetto”
Day 3:
From the origins of Rome to the 21st century
8:30 AM: Breakfast
Get in the mood with a quick coffee or leisurely breakfast at the Caffè Tadolini Canova, just past the Spanish Steps via del Babuino.
In January 1818, Antonio Canova (at the height of his European fame) signed a contract for property destined solely for the practice of sculpture for his favorite pupil Adamo Tadolino. This caffè in the former sculpture workshop still houses the plaster working models of this neo-classical sculptor. From there, walk through the Villa Borghese Gardens to the Villa Giulia.
entrance of Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia
9:30 AM: MUSEO NAZIONALE ETRUSCO DI VILLA GIULIA
The countryside villa of the Renaissance Pope Julius III houses the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia Villa which contains pre-Roman finds from throughout the Latium, southern Etruria, and Umbria.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from 2 to 7 PM, with the exception of the first Sundays of the month and holidays, you can also visit the Villa Poniatowski nearby with important works repatriated to Italy.
On the ground floor of the Villa Giulia, the focus is on grave goods of the Villanovan and Etruscan periods with an abundance of terracotta pottery and ash urns, imported Near Eastern and Greek pottery and Etruscan bucchero ware. Wealthy Etruscans re-created Greek culture, filling their tombs with all the accoutrements of the Greek symposium: imported Greek vases take their place beside bronze vessels, armour and local wares.
A highlight is the terracotta “Sarcophagi of the Spouses” with the couple reclining on a kline (the bed used for dining). The Greeks would have been shocked by the inclusion of a woman in what was traditionally a male domain in the Greek world. Other sections are dedicated to the chronology of Greek vase paintings, inscriptions, and an extraordinary collection of architectural terracotta sculptures, including the 6th century BC statues of Apollo and Herakles from the sanctuary at Veii.
Sarcophagi of the Spouses - Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia
12 PM
Have a light lunch at the Ristorante & Caffetteria Belle Arti 1938 (in the tennis club) near the Villa Poniatowski or head straight to the caffè of the Galleria d’arte Moderna which is your next destination.
1:30 PM: Galleria d’arte Moderna
Founded just after the unification of Italy (Rome became the capital in 1871), the museum has been situated in the Valle Giulia since the early 1900s as the repository of modern and contemporary art of the time.
The display of the works, presented chronologically in a traditional museological fashion, was transformed in 2016 by a new conception of the museum which juxtaposes works from diverse periods linked by a common theme.
In “Time is Out of Joint,” Fontana and Canova share the same room; neo-classical sculptures rub shoulders with paintings of various centuries; other rooms focus on modern art movements. Look out for the ceramic works of Leoncillo and Arturo Martini.
Arturo Martini - Le Stelle
Galleria d’arte Moderna
Leoncillo San Sebastiano 1939
5 PM: MAXXI MUSEO NAZIONALE DELLE ARTI DEL XXI SECOLO
The last stop today transports you from the neo-classical period to the 21st century. The MAXXI Museo Nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo, designed by Zaha Hadid, opened to the public in 2010. A small permanent collection is enhanced by a broad array of more than a dozen temporary exhibitions.
Currently, the show of Italian transavanguardia artist Enzo Cucchi includes a selection of important ceramic works.
8 PM: Enjoy a glass of wine
After a rest in your hotel, Il Tiberino on Tiber Island is the perfect place to enjoy the views of Rome by night (book a table outside) accompanied by traditional Roman fare and fine wines.
To explore more galleries, museums, design stores, and other destinations in Rome and the rest of Italy, go to the Ceramic World Destination Map!
Lori-Ann Touchette
Lori-Ann Touchette is a classical archaeologist and art historian with degrees from Brown, Princeton, and Oxford Universities. She is the author and editor of articles and books on Greco-Roman art and 18th-century Grand Tour. She has also contributed articles to Ceramics: Art & Perception, Ceramics Technical, and Ceramics Ireland. In 2012, she co-founded CRETA Rome with the Italian artist Paolo Porelli.
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