Certaldo, three new museums at Palazzo Pretorio: the Museum of Justice, the Gallery of Contemporary Art and the Archaeological Section

In Certaldo (Florence), Palazzo Pretorio, the most important building in the town that was the birthplace of Giovanni Boccaccio and former administrative headquarters, is being renovated. In fact, the palace will house three new museums: the Museum of Justice, the Gallery of Contemporary Art and the Archaeological Section. All with a completely renovated museum layout, in a historic palace, built starting in 1184 by the Alberti Counts of Prato, which today is reborn rediscovering its role that made it famous: the seat from which Florence administered civil and criminal justice over a wide swath of Tuscany. The opening of the three new museums is set for Sunday, June 21, at 5:30 p.m., when, on the occasion of the summer solstice, access will be free for everyone, citizens and tourists alike.

The most important novelty from the point of view of layout and culture, is definitely the “Museum of Justice”: it is a museum tour that tells the story of the function of Palazzo Pretorio as the seat of the Vicariate: from here, from 1415 to 1784, Florence administered the territory and justice, civil and criminal, in Valdelsa, Val di Pesa and part of Valdarno. During these three centuries, as many as 707 vicars (the office was six-monthly), often leading figures from the noblest Florentine families, alternated in power. Of these, four centuries of history, dozens of marvelous frescoed or carved coats of arms and thousands of archival papers with descriptions of the sentences remain today in the palace: these are documents that, digitized and reproduced on screen, will accompany the visitor through a path that, from the hearing room, will wind through the places where justice was administered, where sentences were read, to the prisons. A brand new multimedia display will show what cannot be seen today helping to step inside the story.

Going up to the second floor, in what used to be the Vicar’s private apartments, an art gallery has been set up for temporary exhibitions. It begins, on Sunday 21, with Through the Decameron - a journey through the Decameron. On display is a careful selection of the works that, since 1967, the greatest Italian artists have created, specifically for Certaldo, inspired by the novellas of the Decameron and that are part of a large public collection that counts about 800 pieces. This first selection sees, subdivided throughout the ten days of the Decameron, more than 50 works by as many artists, including such names as Emilio Greco, Renzo Vespignani, Massimo Campigli, Tono Zancanaro, Aligi Sassu, Mino Maccari, Bruno Saetti, Agenore Fabbri, Domenico Purificato, Renato Guttuso, Mirko Basaldella, Carlo Levi, Ennio Calabria, Remo Brindisi, and Antonietta Raphael Mafai.

Last to be inaugurated (the layout, in this case, is still in progress and will be presented in July) is the renovated Archaeological Section, set up by the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio for the Metropolitan City of Florence and the Provinces of Pistoia and Prato. The site of settlements as early as Etruscan times, Certaldo (from the Latin cerrus altus, a rise covered with turkey oaks), along with its surroundings, has proved to be rich in Etruscan artifacts, as well as furnishings from medieval times. The new Archaeological Section will also display some of the materials found where Semifonte stood, the fortified citadel that was razed by Florence in 1202 because it threatened its trade.

The entire new exhibit was designed by the offices and staff of the City of Certaldo. After the inauguration ceremony, in the presence of Mayor Giacomo Cucini, Councillor Clara Conforti, Pro Loco President Daniela Brenci and those who collaborated on the layout, it will be possible to visit the palace in small organized groups. Reservations are strongly recommended by calling 0571 656721.

Certaldo, three new museums at Palazzo Pretorio: the Museum of Justice, the Gallery of Contemporary Art and the Archaeological Section

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