Bargello Museum in Florence Reopens Renovated Ivory Room

The Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence has reopened its Sala degli Avori with a completely renovated display of its ivory collection, comprising approximately 250 artifacts from the Etruscan period to the 19th century. The room features precious works such as the 5th-6th century Diptych with scenes from the life of Saint Paul and Adam in Paradise, the Byzantine Empress plaque, the Olifant of the Sainte-Chapelle donated to the King of France in 1274, and the Madonna dei Granduchi, along with rare mosaics, paintings, and medieval sculptures. The collection spans fifteen centuries, making it one of the world's most prestigious ivory collections in both quantity and quality. Previously housed in 1980s display cases, the works have been transferred to new cases with anti-glare, anti-breakage, and microclimate control systems. The room underwent restoration of its painted and decorative elements and received new lighting to enhance both the architecture and the artworks. The project was funded through the autonomy of Italian museums following the 2014 reform, marking the first major integral renovation of a historic display in a Bargello hall. Director Paola D'Agostino stated that visitors are the museums' true 'guests of honor' and that the museum aimed to welcome them by showcasing these extraordinary micro-masterpieces of ivory from diverse cultures, rearranged with new and evocative juxtapositions, in safety and under a new light.