VENICE -- A new exhibition of ‘Miniature masterpieces’ has been organized for late September by the Giorgio Cini Foundation in Venice, entitled ‘Mindful Hands. I capolavori miniati’ (masterpieces of medieval illumination).

‘Mindful Hands. Miniature masterpieces from the Giorgio Cini Foundation’ is the exciting new exhibition being held on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice from September 17, 2016 to January 8, 2017, with the vernissage event taking place on Friday September 16.  

 It will put on display, for the first time in over 35 years, the collection of 236 illuminated manuscripts, essentially those in which the text is supplemented with miniature illustrations, initials and marginalia. The collections was acquired by Count Vittorio Cini between 1939 and 1940 from Milan's Hoepli Antiquarian Library.

 Over 120 of the most significant illuminations from the whole collection will be on display in the exhibition. It is one of the most important and precious collections in the foundation’s possession, received as a donation in 1962, and one of the most important collections of this type in the world.

 The Cini Foundation is a non-profit cultural institution based in Venice, set up by Vittorio Cini in memory of his son Giorgio, with the aim of restoring the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore that was devastated after 100 years of military occupation. As part of this restoration, the foundation has created an international cultural centre in order to re-integrate the Island into Venice’s cultural scene.

 “Our mission is to promote the redevelopment of the monumental complex on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore and encourage the creation and development of educational, social, cultural and artistic institutions in its surrounding territory,” says the cultural foundation.

 This particular exhibition has been brought to life by the Foundation itself, along with ‘Studio Michele De Lucchi’ and ‘Factum Arte’, also thanks to the support of the ‘Helen Hamlyn Trust’ and the contribution of Pirelli. It was curated by Federica Toniolo, Professor of History of the Illuminated Manuscipt at Padua's Università degli Studi, e Massimo Medica, Director of Bologna's Medieval Civic Museum, who both also undertook a cataloguing of the whole collection.

 Further details:

 The exhibition will take place on Venice’s San Giorgio Island in the Exhibition Centre ‘Le Sale del Convitto’

 Dates: 17th September 2016 -  8th January 2017

 Press conference and preview: Friday 16th September 2016, 12pm

 nkd