On the occasion of the 950th anniversary of the laying of the first stone of Pisa Cathedral, Palazzo Blu presents Giuseppe Martin’s precious volume, a book which was devised in 1705 as an overview of the monuments on the Dome Square (Piazza del Duomo).

This volume stands out as the most recent acquisition set forth by the Pisa Foundation. It contains 32 astonishing figures, intended by the author as a banner to promote a better knowledge, but, first of all, a deeper appreciation of the monument on the Square, with a spirit which, as early as the beginning of the 18th century, seemed to anticipate such a fundamental postulate in late-Enlightenment Tuscan culture as the reappraisal of the Middle Ages.

Such an interesting illustration book was published in Rome by the heirs of the revered printer Antonio de Rossi. Almost entirely drawn by the Melani brothers and their pupils, the pictures in themselves lure the viewers to further investigation and a more profound insight into the technical skills of both these highly talented artists and the engravers translating the formers’ graphic sketches into extremely refined and valuable etchings.

The exhibition is curated by Stefano Renzoni and showcases all of the 32 figures of the volume as photographic copies. Its inauguration will take place on Wednesday 16 July, at 6:00 p.m.

From July 16th to October 5th 2014
Tuesday to Friday, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Pisa, Palazzo Blu, Lungarno Gambacorti, 9

Free entrance