Pandolfini auction house centenary book traces Italian collecting history
Italy's oldest auction house, Pandolfini, celebrates its centenary with a limited-edition volume, "Un secolo d'Incanto. I cento anni di Pandolfini e il collezionismo italiano" (Silvana Editoriale). Curated by Marco Riccòmini with photographs by Massimo Listri, the nearly 200-page book features almost 200 images and chronicles a century of Italian collecting, from the gatherings of art historians like Bernard Berenson and Roberto Longhi in Florence to the globalized art market of today. It includes milestones such as the 2014 sale of a Qing vase for over €7 million, the most expensive lot ever auctioned in Italy. The book will be presented at Pandolfini's Milan headquarters (Via Alessandro Manzoni 45) on Tuesday, November 19 at 6 PM, with CEO Pietro De Bernardi, Riccòmini, and Listri moderated by Clarice Pecori Giraldi. Pandolfini was founded in 1924 by Cavaliere Luigi Pandolfini (1887-1976) in Florence, moved to Palazzo Ramirez-Montalvo in the 1950s, and now has additional offices in Rome (since 2016) and Milan (since 2011). De Bernardi, the founder's grandson, notes the auction house survived WWII, the 1966 Florence flood, the 2001 economic crisis after 9/11, and the 2008 subprime crisis. A previous presentation took place at the BIAF – Biennale Internazionale dell'Antiquariato di Firenze in October 2024.
Key facts
- Pandolfini is Italy's oldest auction house, founded in 1924 by Cavaliere Luigi Pandolfini.
- The centenary book 'Un secolo d'Incanto' is published by Silvana Editoriale, curated by Marco Riccòmini with photos by Massimo Listri.
- The book has nearly 200 pages and almost 200 images.
- It covers a century of Italian collecting, from Berenson and Longhi to the globalized market.
- A Qing vase sold for over €7 million in 2014 is the most expensive lot ever auctioned in Italy.
- The book presentation in Milan is on November 19, 2024 at 6 PM at Via Alessandro Manzoni 45.
- Speakers include Pietro De Bernardi, Marco Riccòmini, Massimo Listri, moderated by Clarice Pecori Giraldi.
- Pandolfini survived WWII, the 1966 Florence flood, the 2001 crisis, and the 2008 subprime crisis.
- Pandolfini has offices in Florence (Palazzo Ramirez-Montalvo), Milan (since 2011), and Rome (since 2016).
- A previous presentation was held at BIAF in Florence in October 2024.
Entities
Artists
- Bernard Berenson
- Roberto Longhi
- Massimo Listri
- Marco Riccòmini
- Pietro De Bernardi
- Clarice Pecori Giraldi
- Luigi Pandolfini
- Cristina Masturzo
Institutions
- Pandolfini
- Silvana Editoriale
- BIAF – Biennale Internazionale dell'Antiquariato di Firenze
- Palazzo Ramirez-Montalvo
- Artribune
- NABA
Locations
- Florence
- Italy
- Milan
- Rome
- Via Alessandro Manzoni 45
- Palazzo Ramirez-Montalvo