Florence, three Divine Children on display for Christmas at Palazzo Vecchio

Also this year in Florence, the Christmas exhibition of sacred art works and artifacts from the churches and museums of the Florentine diocese returns to Palazzo Vecchio.

Last year a nativity scene by Benedetto Buglioni was displayed in the Sala delle Udienze, this year three sculptures made between the 15th and 18th centuries from the Santa Maria Novella Complex, the Beato Angelico Museum of Sacred and Religious Art in Vicchio and the Catholic Parish Church of Santa Maria a Settignano will be on display. The three Divine Children, one blessing in painted plaster, the other posing as a small King of the World in painted and gilded wood, and the third lying supine in polychrome terracotta, are presented here together on the top of the large wooden countertop preserved in the Sala delle Udienze in Palazzo Vecchio. The first standing one already has the semblance of the Savior who wants to protect all mankind with his Grace. The second is royal infant, radiant like a star. The third is humble, helpless, filled with goodness and innocence, as imagined by St. Francis.

The Divine Children project, curated by Sergio Risaliti and on view until Jan. 28, 2024, was supported by the collaboration of the Florentine Archdiocese and the MUS.E organization.

“Christmas is also a time to reflect on the most familiar images of our artistic and religious heritage, such as those of the birth of Jesus and the manifestation of the divine in Bethlehem, according to the story handed down in the Gospels,” said Sergio Risaliti, director of the Novecento Museum in Florence and curator of the project. “Outside of any adversity or ideological divergence, Christmas, like the nativity scene, unites adults and children in feelings and emotions of joy and benevolence, expectation and hope. This year we chose the sculptures of three Divine Children to remind, especially adults, that childhood must be protected for its defenseless innocence and wisdom. These days, however, the pain and suffering of so many children remind us that the slaughter of the innocent still continues.”

“A touching journey through sacred art,” said Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Culture Alessia Bettini, “which offers a profound look at the purity of childhood through sculptures capable of conveying a message of grace, sacredness and innocence. An exhibition that invites us to reflect on the very meaning of human life, at a time when the suffering of so many children opens deep wounds. An opportunity for all of us to cultivate the very connection with the essence of Christmas.”

Florence, three Divine Children on display for Christmas at Palazzo Vecchio

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