The two collections have been housed in the Bargellini Palace since 1926, under an agreement still in force. The Davia Bargellini gallery was added on the ground floor of the palace along with the materials from the Civic Museum of Industrial Art, founded in 1919 with the purpose of gathering testimonies of Bolognese craftsmanship. It was organized by the Superintendent, Count Francesco Malaguzzi Valeri, following the example of art and industry museums that emerged in Europe during the 19th century. Established for educational purposes and as a repertoire of models for craftsmanship, the applied art collections are displayed alongside the paintings of the gallery, due to their evocative power of an 18th-century noble residence, and reveal, in their almost original installation, the museographic criteria of Malaguzzi Valeri. In 1926, the Municipal Administration signed with the Opera Pia the agreement that still governs the coexistence of the two museum nuclei. The materials included in the collections come from various sources. Much of it consists of purchases made around the 1920s on the antiques market, but also from deposits by Bolognese Pious Works, legacies to the Municipality, or donations. Among the most significant paintings in the gallery are the famous ‘Madonna dei denti’ by Vitale da Bologna (1345), a panel by Antonio Vivarini, the ‘Portrait of a Young Lady’ by Prospero Fontana, the ‘Portrait of Virgilio Bargellini’ by Bartolomeo Passerotti, the “room” paintings by Marcantonio Franceschini, and also paintings by Cantarini, Giuseppe Maria and Luigi Crespi, Brill, Magnasco, and Felice Torelli. The museum rooms are also decorated with works of Bolognese sculpture, such as the ‘Bust of Virgilio Bargellini’ by Vincenzo Onofri (15th century) and 18th-century terracottas by Giuseppe Maria Mazza and Angelo Piò. Representing the decorative arts are the important Bentivoglio cassone (15th century), Renaissance graffito ceramics, Baroque furniture, miniature cabinetmaking furniture like the furnished palazzina model, finely carved and gilded frames, and a dollhouse. Adding to the visit are the imposing gala sedan chair from the Angelelli legacy (late 18th century) and more recent works such as the floral grille by Giuseppe Da Col and the 20th-century sign from the wrought iron workshop of Sante Mingazzi. The museum preserves a very rare and precious 18th-century puppet theater, which is not a homogeneous work. The theater itself is made of wood and tempera-painted fabric. On the pediment is depicted the coat of arms of the Albicini family from Forlì. It is, therefore, a private theater presumably installed in the city or summer palace of the Albicini family, known for their passion for music. The theater is accompanied by five backdrops with their respective two sets of frames from different periods – from the second half of the 18th century to the middle of the next century – representing various environments and other scenographic elements. The oldest parts of the theater – the stage arch or proscenium and two backdrops – are attributed to students and collaborators of Antonio Bibbiena active in Forlì from the seventh decade of the 18th century. The theater includes 74 puppets, 9 horses, and a monkey. The puppets, of Venetian manufacture and varying sizes, do not all belong to the same set. They are, in any case, extremely refined, with silk dresses beautifully embroidered. Of extraordinary importance are some transformation puppets (clowns that double their height, ladies who transform into dwarfs). It is the only 18th-century puppet theater to have preserved the control rods of the puppets.
Information about Civic Museums of Ancient Art: “Davia Bargellini” Industrial Art Museum
Strada Maggiore, 44,
40121 Bologna (Bologna)
051236708
museiarteantica@comune.bologna.it
https://www.comune.bologna.it/iperbole/museicivici
Source: MIBACT
