Bottacin, the medal as document and symbol of time

The medal. Sign, symbol, document, aesthetic expression. Object of desire by many collectors, like Nicola Bottacin. The exhibition “The 20th Century in Medals” has been organized in the Civic Museum Eremitani to pay homage, on the occasion of the second century of his birth, to this extraordinary figure who has given to Padua his prestigious collection of coins, medals and works of art (now exposed at the Zuckermann Palace), obtaining the freedom of the city.
The event was attended by the Major Flavio Zanonato, the councillor responsible for cultural politics Monica Balbinot, the director of the Civic Museums and Libraries Davide Banzato, the curator of the Bottacin Museum Bruno Callegher, the curators of the exhibition Giorgio Segato and Roberta Parise and, for Ne-t by Telerete Nordest, which has offered its cooperation, Stefano Franceschi.
The exhibition is organized into two sections. The first section recalls the figure and taste of Bottacin. Among the works, his portrait painted by Augusto Caratti and the marble bust by Angelo Cameroni, journals, coins, medals, books, paintings, furniture and and antiques that belonged to Maximilian of Habsburg. The second section shows the medals of the 20th Century, including those which had been made to celebrate historical events, anniversaries, figures from Padua and made by local artists, from Luciano Mercante to Luigi Strazzabosco, from Ettore Greco to Mario Pinton, from Nerino Negri to Giancarlo Milani. The thematic sequences realized by Angelo Grilli, Giò Pomodoro, Francesco Lucianetti, Piero Perin, Roberto Cremesini, Tonino Cortese are very remarkable. Works by medallists of the Zecca of Rome have been exposed among these medals.
«The presence of the Bottacin Museum has obliged in a way the town and its public and private institutions – Mr Segato said – to feel the medal as an important, essential document of its history, a seal to events, a memory for figures, a medium of communication. In recent times Padua has stood out again as one of the most lively centres for the study and production of medals. Many people have become fond of this form of art, therefore we press for other donations, documentations of anniversaries, figures, events, in order to transfer them to history».

Il Gazzettino, 17.09.2005

Homage to Bartolomeo Cristofori

The Musical Foundation Masiero e Centanin with the Municipality of Padua and the Civic Museums, and thanks to the assistance of Ne-t by Telerete Nordest, on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of his birth, wants to commemorate the figure of Bartolomeo Cristofori, paduan inventor of the piano.
Born in 1655, he devoted himself to the manifacture of musical instruments, in particular harpsichords. His fame arrived to the Medici in Florence who called him to work at their court, where he created a new musical instrument he would call 'harpsichord that can play soft and loud'.
The homage to Cristofori the Foundation Masiero and Centanin intends to propose, consists in a series of 5 concerts dedicated to the piano of the 18th Century, with the characteristics of the instrument thought by its paduan inventor. Concerts will be performed at the Eremitani Museum on Tuesday 11th and 18th May, on 2nd, 8th and 15th June at 9.00pm. Ne-t by Telerete Nordest will place technology at disposal of music, giving the chance to the public to attend the concerts in audio/video streaming on www.ne-t.it. Franco Angeleri, pianist and musicologist, who was among the first in Italy and Europe to devote himself to the rediscovery of historical pianos, will be the protagonist of these performances. The admission is free and the tickets should be collected at the Civic Museums. (e.bol.)

Il Mattino di Padova, 09.05.2005