Italian code of a timeless art
World Tour
AREA 00 – INTRODUCTION
An extraordinarily rich but little-known artistic language has spanned for over 2000 years throughout the 1500 km connecting northern and southern Italy: mosaic. MOSAICO aims to take you along on a fascinating and unprecedented journey.
The multimedia and immersive exhibition is structured around seven stations, acting as real time machines, magical rooms whose walls are decked out with endless wonders.
A unique journey between gilded motifs, symbols and allegories, aglow in polychromies populated by dolphins, starry skies, labyrinths and battles.
An exploration to discover the patrons, images, materials and gestures that characterise some of the most iconic works of Italy’s mosaic art.
An Italian code of a timeless art, which inspires classical and contemporary expressive alphabets and languages.
The Farnesina Collection is the collection of 20th- and 21st-century Italian art kept in the headquarters of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, which has made contemporary artistic research a cornerstone of its cultural policy.
AREA 01 – ROME / POMPEII
ROME
Rome is the first protagonist of the exhibition: the stories told by the mosaics of the Capitoline Museums represent the glorious past of the Capital during the urbanization process over the last century.
Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian and the Basilica of Saint Praxedes are the two masterpieces which allow us to learn about Christian mosaic art: the stories and messages held in their walls vibrate with intense spirituality.
POMPEII
History is unveiled through the mosaics of the House of the Faun, one of the biggest and most luxurious houses in Pompeii. Thousands of tesserae joined together depict the scene where Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia during the Battle of Issus. These depictions show lances crossing, the reflections of weapons on the ground, horses advancing and men’s crazed or terrified looks.
AREA 02 – AQUILEIA
floor mosaic of the Patriarchal Basilica of Saint Mary of the Assumption seems infinite with its explosion of symbols of the Catholic religion dating back to the period immediately after the Edict of Constantine, which granted to Christians the freedom to observe the religion of their choice. With its depictions of sea animals and birds, it tells stories such as the fight between the rooster and the tortoise or the iconic story of Jonah, which is an allegory of the Resurrection of Jesus and, more generally, of the otherworldly life granted to those who were baptized.
AREA 03 – RAVENNA
Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, the Basilica of Saint Vitale and the Basilica of Saint Apollinaris in Classe: Ravenna’s past shines in their mosaics, which are testament to the Paleo Christian and Byzantine art. History is told through tesserae of a bright color range: here, light changes and golden surfaces shine in an otherworldly dimension; nevertheless, the mosaics of Justinian and Theodora show a strong political and religious relationship. The mosaic art becomes an important way of conveying Christian contents, going beyond the concept of beauty towards a purely spiritual dimension mainly made of light.
AREA 04 – PALERMO / MONREALE
The story of Genesis, the Old and the New Testament, the Feast Days, the Apocalypse and the salvation: Sicily’s mosaic heritage is breathtaking for its majesty and harmony, its complexity and craftsmanship. Spirituality and commitment constitute the cornerstones of the Palatine Chapel, the Cathedral of Monreale and the Martorana Church.
During the reign of Roger II, Christians, Jews and Muslims lived together and spoke Latin, Arabic, Greek and Hebrew, in a triumph of multiculturalism which can also be found in the architecture and art of sacred places.
AREA 05 - PIAZZA ARMERINA
Roman’s customs, traditions and habits are displayed through the corridors and the rooms of Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina, an archaeological find of exceptional value. Through its polychrome floor mosaic, it shows us the daily moments of life in the Roman Empire during the early centuries AD. From the Small and the Great Hunting scenes to the aristocrats’ habits, depictions of heroes and deities’ up to the the supreme example of a late-imperial Roman luxury villa: the mosaic of the ‘Gymnasts’.
AREA 06 – BAIAE
Underwater Archaeological Park of Baiae reveals a thriving harbor submerged in the sea, as well as ancient streets and Roman aristocracy and imperial family’s holiday destinations during the 3rd century AD.
Today the extraordinary mosaics of Baiae can only be admired by diving underwater, continually removing the sand by hand: immersed in the silence of the seabed, while discovering a story hidden by centuries of bradyseism (the gradual uplift or descendent of part of the Earth’s surface), it feels like hearing the slow Earth breath of Naples’ neighbourhoods.
Magister Art has developed an innovative audio/video synchronization system for a better exhibition experience: Magister Art Player. In the exhibition, the video contents run on a continuous loop. With this new system, as soon as the visitors enter one of the rooms, they connect to the audio signal at the exact point in the narration in the desired language.
The Magister Art App, available in Italian, English and Spanish and also in the local language upon request, allows visitors to listen to or read the story narrated in the exhibition videos.
The system offers maximum flexibility. In fact, the Magister Art app works both through the audio-guide devices included in the exhibition kit – the Magister Art Box, and as an app downloadable for free onto visitor’s smartphone.
Download the free app to listen to the introductory chapter:
App Store
AN EXHIBITION PRODUCED AND ORGANISED BY
THE ITALIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Vice-President of the Council of Ministers – Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Antonio Tajani
Deputy Minister and Under Secretaries of State
Edmondo Cirielli
Maria Tripodi
Giorgio Silli
Secretary General
Riccardo Guariglia
Directorate General for Cultural and Public Diplomacy
Director General
Alessandro De Pedys
Principal Director for the Promotion of the Italian Culture and Language
Filippo La Rosa
Office III – Cultural Promotion and Italian Institutes of Culture
Tommaso Giordano
Michela De Riso
Maria Giordano
Ilaria Petrolati
AN EXHIBITION CONCEIVED AND CREATED BY MAGISTER ART
Founder, CEO and Creative Supervisor
Renato Saporito
General Manager, Head of Content and Editorial Strategy
Jelena Jovanović
Public Affairs & International Relations
Pietro Masi
Creative Director, Head of Production and Technology
Alessandra Costantini
Artistic Director
Luca Mazzieri
Exhibition Design Director
Simona Dentone
Chief of Staff to the CEO
Giulia Lasen
Associate Creative Director, Accessibility Specialist
Tilbe Kucukonder
Content Strategist
Fabrizia Maselli
Assistant to the General Manager
Samar El Zeini
Script Writer
Camilla Arcangioli
Digital Archive and Content Coordinator
Fabio Felsani
Composer, Assistant to the Artistic Director
Vincenzo Mauro
Brand & Communication Design Manager
Gianluca Barbero
Video Editor
Giuseppe Carabelli
Animation Designer
Serkan Savaskan
Production & Operation Assistant
Riccardo Ratti
Assistant to the Creative Director
Marina Luperto
IN COLLABORATION WITH
MUNICIPALITY OF AQUILEIA
Mayor
Emanuele Zorino
PATRIARCHAL BASILICA OF SAINT MARY OF THE ASSUMPTION
Foundation for the Preservation of the Basilica of Aquileia
Director
Andrea Bellavite
Communication and Marketing
Mattia Vecchi
Photos by Vanja Makovac e Mattia Vecchi
MUNICIPALITY OF RAVENNA
Mayor
Michele De Pascale
Councillor for Culture
Fabio Sbaraglia
Director of the Tourism Service
Maria Grazia Marini
Director of Cultural and Political Activities
Roberto Cantagalli
Tourism Service, Editorial & Video Making Support
Nada Mamish
Culture Department | Administration of the Municipality of Ravenna
Cristina Calandrini
BASILICA OF SAINT VITALE | MAUSOLEUM OF GALLA PLACIDIA
Opera di Religione|Diocese of Ravenna
Archiepiscopal Representative for Religious Cultural Heritage
Lorenzo Rossini
Photos by Alfredo Dagli Orti
BASILICA OF SAINT APOLLINARIS IN CLASSE
courtesy of the Ministry of Culture – Regional Directorate of Emilia-Romagna Museums
Director of the National Museum of Ravenna and the Basilica of Saint Apollinaris in Classe. Regional Directorate of Emilia-Romagna Museums|Ministry of Culture
Letizia Lodi
Director of UNESCO Heritage Sites of Ravenna: Mausoleum of Theodoric and the Palace – The Arian Baptistery – Regional Directorate of Emilia-Romagna Museums| Ministry of Culture
Sandra Manara
Photographic Archive Regional Directorate of Emilia-Romagna Museums| Ministry of Culture
Marco Pradelli
Photos by Alfredo Dagli Orti
MUNICIPALITY OF PALERMO
Mayor
Roberto Lagalla
Councillor for Culture
Giampiero Cannella
ROYAL PALACE AND THE PALATINE CHAPEL President of the Federico II Foundation
Gaetano Galvagno
General Manager of the Federico II Foundation
Patrizia Monterosso
Images of the Palatine Chapel - courtesy of the General Directorate of Religious Affairs and Administration of the Religious Buildings Authority – Italian Ministry of the Interior, responsible for the management of the Chapel artworks.
Photos by Ghigo Roli - Alfredo Dagli Orti
CHURCH OF SAINT MARY OF THE ADMIRAL
courtesy of the General Directorate of Religious Affairs and Administration of the Religious Buildings Authority – Italian Ministry of the Interior | Department for Civil Liberties and Immigration.
MUNICIPALITY OF MONREALE
Mayor
Alberto Arcidiacono
Councillor of UNESCO of the Municipality of Monreale
Letizia Sardisco
MONREALE CATHEDRAL
Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria Nuova. Archdiocese of Monreale
Archpriest of the Cathedral Basilica
Nicola Gaglio
Photos by Ghigo Roli - Alfredo Dagli Orti
Geometric decorations. Mosaics in opus sectile - Cathedral of Monreale
Giuseppe Oddo
MUNICIPALITY OF PIAZZA ARMERINA
Mayor
Nino Cammarata
Councillor for Culture
Ettore Massimo Messina
VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE IN PIAZZA ARMERINA
courtesy of the Archaeological Park of Morgantina and the Villa Romana del Casale in Piazza Armerina
Director
Liborio Calascibetta
Professor of Architectural Drawing 1|Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Catania - The Drawing of the Mosaic Ambulatory of the Great Hunt in the Philosophiana Villa in Piazza Armerina. In Arena A., Arena M., Mediati D., Raffa P. (edited by). Connecting. Drawing for weaving relationship.
Proceedings of 42nd International Conference of Teachers of the Disciplines of Representation. Milan: FrancoAngeli, pages 2211-2230
Giuseppe Di Gregorio
CITY OF ROME
CAPITOLINE SUPERINTENDENCE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE
Capitoline Superintendent
Claudio Parisi Presicce
Centrale Montemartini
Nadia Agnoli
Serena Guglielmi
FUNERARY RELIEF WITH MOSAICISTS|OSTIA ANTICA
Photo Archive | Ostia Antica Archaeological Park
BASILICA OF SAINTS COSMAS AND DAMIAN AND BASILICA OF SAINT PRAXEDES
General Directorate of Religious Affairs and Administration of the Religious Buildings Authority – Italian Ministry of the Interior | Department for Civil Liberties and Immigration.
Prefect, Director of the General Directorate
Fabrizio Gallo
Vice-Prefect, Office III Director
Sonia Boccia
Official, Office III
Eleonora Ippoliti
Official, Digital Library and Archive - Religious Buildings Authority
Carmine Iuozzo
FARNESINA COLLECTION
Afro, Rosso (work n. 10), 1963
Afro, Il percorso, 1967
Afro, Coat of arms “Lo stemma” (work n. 25), 1971
Sandro Chia, Scene e gente d’Italia, 2000
Sandro Chia, Storie italiane, 2000
Ugo Cortesi, Big box bang, 2004
Flavio Favelli, Archive (Mirror) (C112), 2008
Mirko, Untitled (totem), 1950 approx.
Luigi Montanarini, Untitled, 1966
Ascanio Renda, Farnesina, 2006
Toti Scialoja, Untitled, 1966
CITY OF NAPLES
MOSAIC OF THE BATTLE OF ISSUS
courtesy of the Ministry of Culture – National Archaeological Museum of Naples,
photos by Luigi Spina
CITY OF POMPEII
HOUSE OF THE FAUN
courtesy of the Ministry of Culture – Archaeological Park of Pompeii
3D Model of Pompeii
realised by the CNR IBAM ITLab
Director
Daniele Malfitana
Scientific Manager
Francesco Gabellone
BAIAE | CITY OF BACOLI
UNDERWATER ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK OF BAIAE
courtesy of the Ministry of Culture – Archaeological Park of Phlegrean Fields
Director | Archaeological Park of Phlegrean Fields
Fabio Pagano
Official, Archaeologist|Underwater Archaeological Park of Baiae
Enrico Gallocchio
Official, Promotion & Communication|Underwater Archaeological Park of Baiae
Filippo Russo
Photos and videos by
Pasquale Vassallo, Edoardo Ruspantini, Gabriele Gomez de Ayala
GA&A Productions / Filmare Entertainment
3D images realised by Simone Spagnolo
LUCE CINECITTÀ ARCHIVE
Documentary “The Mosaic”, directed by Giulio Briani, 1955