Vittorio Sgarbi Remembers Philippe Daverio: From Milan Gallery to Politics and TV

Vittorio Sgarbi recalls Philippe Daverio's multifaceted career in four phases. In 1975, Daverio opened an unconventional gallery at Via Montenapoleone 6 in Milan, exhibiting artists like Severini and de Chirico alongside lesser-known talents, offering a youthful alternative to established galleries such as Il Milione, Galleria del Cavallino, Farsetti, Studio Marconi, and Lorenzelli. The gallery operated until 1989. In 1993, amid Italy's Tangentopoli scandal, Daverio became Assessor to Culture for Milan under the Lega Nord, then led by Umberto Bossi and Mayor Formentini, a move few intellectuals would make at the time. During his tenure, he secured the acquisition of a masterpiece by Antonello da Messina and two by Canaletto for the city. After politics, Daverio taught at the University of Palermo without a degree, fell in love with the city, but left after a dispute during the Festino di Santa Rosalia. In 2008, he accepted the honorary role of librarian in Salemi under Sgarbi's mayorship alongside Oliviero Toscani. Daverio then turned to television, creating the program Passepartout, following Sgarbi's example. Sgarbi notes their parallel paths: both served as assessors in Milan, wrote bestsellers, and covered both contemporary and ancient art, reaching a democratic audience unlike critics such as Achille Bonito Oliva, Francesco Bonami, and Germano Celant.