Museo: Museo Oro d'Autore

0. Multimedia Room

Welcome to the first room. On the first wall, the texts present the history of artistic techniques in the goldsmith and casting tradition in Arezzo from the 6th century BC to the end of the 19th century; on the second wall, the history of the Arezzo gold district is showcased up to the end of the last century; on the fourth wall, the list of various editions of the ORODAUTORE exhibitions from 1988 to 2012 is displayed. In the central wall, a video welcomes you, explaining the history of goldsmithing in Arezzo. This tradition has its roots in the Etruscan era, continuing up to the present day. Enjoy the viewing!

1. Hall of the First Editions (1988-1989 - Materials and Projects for a Jewelry Collection and 1993 - Japan and the United States of America)

In September 1988, the first exhibition of "Oro d’Autore, Materials and Projects for a New Goldsmith Collection", curated by Lara-Vinca Masini, was hosted at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale Gaio Cilnio Mecenate in Arezzo, alongside the archaeological exhibition "Jewelry and Ornaments from Egyptians to the Early Middle Ages." Fourteen artists were invited—Remo Buti, Nado Canuti, Dadamaino, Mirella Forlivesi, Ugo La Pietra, Eliseo Mattiacci, Bruno Martinazzi, Alessandro Mendini, Mario Mochetti, Franco Onali, Sergio Perlini, Mario Pinton, Alessandro Poli, and Anna Romano Cernitori, to present a project for a piece of jewelry. In this experimental first edition, artists were advised to make possible use of semi-finished and pre-manufactured products used by Aretine goldsmith factories, providing technical and photographic descriptive support. For the second edition in 1989, again curated by Lara-Vinca Masini and named "Oro d’Autore, Materials and Projects for a Goldsmith Collection," the most prestigious exhibition location in Arezzo was chosen, the Lower Basilica of San Francesco, in conjunction with the exhibition "Poland: Jewelry, Ornaments, and Furnishings. Two Thousand Years of Goldsmith Art." Marcello Aitiani, Lapo Binazzi, Bino Bini, Andrea Branzi, Mario Galvagni, Alberto Moretti, Cordelia von den Steinen, and Alberto Zorzi were invited to collaborate on the project. The realizations of nine contemporary Polish artist-goldsmiths were also showcased, along with a section dedicated as a tribute to two historical masters, the couple Jadwiga and Jerzy Zaremski, confirming the continuity of the Polish goldsmith tradition, attentive also to the echoes of European and international culture.

2. Las Vegas and Buenos Aires Room (1993 - Oro d’Autore, Japan and United States of America; 1995 - Homage to Las Vegas and International Architecture Biennale in Buenos Aires and 1996 - Argentina and USA Contests)

At the fourth edition of "Oro d’Autore, Japan and the United States of America", which opened in September 1993, 10 Japanese and 14 American artists participated. One of them, Donald Moffett, created a 'bucket', one of the most provocative pieces of the exhibition. Sokołowski, in the presentation, posed the question, "is it a jewel or not?" and resolved it by thinking, "it's a jewel that isn't a jewel and a bucket that isn't a bucket... just as an empress wears her necklace, so the old horse wears the bucket that feeds it!" This "jewel for a horse" provoked the ire of a well-known Arezzo goldsmith and, after the exhibition, ironically, was never displayed again. The Americans showcased ironic and provocative projects, outside the traditional jewelry-making conventions of our tradition, while the Japanese exhibited measured creative impulses in line with their rather recent jewelry-making tradition. In February 1994, the entire collection of 82 pieces, including the four editions of 1988, '89, '92, and '93, was presented at the Makuhari Center in Tokyo. It was the first time the collection was displayed abroad, thus becoming international, and since then, many public and private institutions on all continents have requested to host it as a symbol of exquisite jewelry craftsmanship, of the Made in Italy of which the Arezzo jewelry district was and is the top exporter in the sector. In June 1995, "Oro d’Autore" was transferred to Las Vegas for the "JCK Show". A new collection, "Las Vegas: the game, the fortune, the endless nights…", inspired by and dedicated to this city of games where day and night are indistinguishable, was also created for this event. Participating artists included sculptors Roberto Barni with a brooch depicting a flying figure engrossed in a metaphysical dream with the flame-hope of winning ignited, Nado Canuti with cornucopias overflowing with coins, Pietro Cascella with an original pocket jewel consisting of a shell holding a lucky star, Mirella Forlivesi with a necklace and pendant with stars of good fortune, Gio’ Pomodoro with a brooch formed by a cornucopia constructed in the golden rectangle, Enzo Scatragli with a safety pin brooch holding the ace of hearts and a dollar bill depicted with precious pure gold granulations, Cordelia von den Steinen with a necklace alluding to a rain of coins and Venturino Venturi's bracelet with sculpted pomegranate seeds symbolizing prosperity; painters Franco Grignani with a light pendant-butterfly symbolizing joy and hope, Luigi Veronesi with a breastplate-necklace adorned with circular elements resembling coins, and Lorenzo Piemonti with a geometric necklace; designers Ugo La Pietra with two horned hands pinning the rotating icons of slot machines, Bruno Munari's ironic pendant with the city's name inscribed in perforated letters, three of which are made with pinholes referencing the so-called Las Vegas lights, and finally Andrea Branzi with a surprising bracelet made from the six modules of the faces of a game die in ivory-like resin set like cloisonné.

3. Piero della Francesca Gallery (1992 and 2007 - Homage to Piero)

This room, which essentially serves as the long corridor that connects the others, has become the most important and scenic space of the entire museum. It houses two exhibitions dedicated to Piero della Francesca. In 1992, under the patronage of the National Committee for the fifth centenary of Piero della Francesca’s death, the third edition of “Oro d’Autore, Homage to Piero” was inaugurated, featuring jewelry inspired by the works of the great painter from Sansepolcro. Participating were 37 artists chosen by Gillo Dorfles and Mario Novi, including sculptors Mauro Berrettini, Pietro Cascella, Mario Ceroli, the Pomodoro brothers, Venturino Venturi, and Cordelia von den Steinen; painters such as Dadamaino, Piero Dorazio, Salvatore Fiume, and Alberto Moretti; designers Andrea Branzi, Riccardo Dalisi, Ugo La Pietra, Alessandro Mendini, Bruno Munari, and Ettore Sottsass Jr.; and jewelry artists Bino Bini, Giorgio Facchini, Bruno Martinazzi, Mario Pinton, and Alberto Zorzi. We are presented with numerous examples that have indeed drawn inspiration from the works or the figure of Piero della Francesca, attempting to isolate certain elements of his works or to “symbolize” their meaning. Giò Pomodoro, in his two brooches, presented two emblematic “heraldic” figures reminiscent of Piero; Venturino Venturi, whose brooch is directly inspired by the Madonna del Parto; or Ugo La Pietra’s coral pendant, which also recalls an artwork by the renowned Aretino. Mauro Berrettini, in his necklace with a single pink pearl, reminisces the Ovo from the Brera Altarpiece; while Giorgio Facchini’s bracelet, alternating onyx and chrysoprase, symbolizes the concept of darkness and light. Moreover, some artists have created contemporary jewelry with a stylistic approach independent of any direct confrontation with Piero’s work. Among these are those like Carrino, who translated the modular system of his primary structures into this context, or Antonio Borrelli, who utilized the modular, combinable composition in his necklace-brooch, or Mario Pinton with his square brooch featuring 46 tubes. Conversely, another group of artists preferred to abandon traditional paths and invent new forms, such as Andrea Branzi with his “profile” in gold with an emerald pupil and pearl teeth; Mattiacci with his spiraled tubular structure necklace; Alessandro Mendini, Lorenzo Guerrini with a medallion made of gold sheets with cuts; Bruno Martinazzi with his "apple necklace"; Salvatore Fiume who transposed one of his typical paintings into a black and red enamel ornament; and Bruno Munari who etched the word “Amore” with a gold wire embedded in perspex. In spring-summer 2007, a major exhibition titled "Piero della Francesca and the Italian Courts" was organized in Arezzo at the State Museum of Medieval and Modern Art, while simultaneously the Galleria Comunale d’Arte Contemporanea hosted a collateral event, “ORODAUTORE Homage to Piero”: this marked the second tribute, following the one in 1992, dedicated to the great artist of our land with 29 international artists invited by Philippe Daverio and Jeffrey T. Schnapp in collaboration with Michela Bondardo. The event featured artists including Gae Aulenti, Dario Fo, Alberto Garutti, Setsu Ito, Giuseppe Antonello Leone, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Florencia Pita, and Clino Trini Castelli. Gae Aulenti, renowned for her refined sensitivity and inventive femininity, managed to establish an almost scientific dialogue with headpieces, transforming them into a collection to be proposed as a design method. Aldo Cibic, however, discerned that simplicity was the key to reaching the essence itself and thus designed a ring with the minimal precision of a planet enclosed in a distant solar system. Fulvia Mendini, enamored by the central star in that system, played it between precious stones and golden metals, whereas Michele De Lucchi outlined the rotational movement deriving from it. Visual artists, like Kokocinski in painting, captured details about Piero often overlooked elsewhere: his passion for fabrics narrated with mastery, where their value manifests through perfect chromatic evolutions. Other creatives ventured down transversal paths, challenging tradition and using the theme not as a reference point but as a provocation inviting the exploration of alternative paths. Yet for all the artists involved, the journey stems from the same enchantment: the intrinsic allure of the name Piero della Francesca, a figure that seemingly makes it impossible to be post or pre-“Piero-esque.” A tribute that represents the most authentic recognition.

4. Hall of the Third Millennium (1998/99 - A Jewel for the Third Millennium: Architects, Oriental Designers, and European Artists)

The collection continues to expand with the three exhibitions titled "A Jewel for the Third Millennium." The first exhibition was set up during the "Oro Arezzo" fair in March 1998, featuring 14 internationally renowned architects and designers. The second series was presented in September at the "International Jewellery and Watch Fair" in Hong Kong, one of the most significant international fairs in the jewelry sector, showcasing 13 new creations from artists and designers from Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Indonesia, Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand. Between the end of 1998 and 1999, the third series was established, featuring works by 22 artists, including painters, sculptors, and designers. These were displayed in the Lower Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo in the spring of 1999 and featured artists such as Luca Alinari, Enrico Baj, Mauro Berrettini, Agostino Bonalumi, Nado Canuti, Eugenio Carmi, Nicola Carrino, Pietro Cascella, Paola De Luca, Mimmo di Cesare, Gillo Dorfles, Jean-Paul Philippe, Lionella Vana Nardi, Ogata, Fabrizio Orlandini, Giò Pomodoro, Germano Sartelli, Joe Tilson, Sergio Vacchi, Giorgio Villa, Cordelia von den Steinen, and Alberto Zorzi. The jewelry pieces were predominantly crafted by companies from Arezzo, but there were also contributions from firms in Florence, Vicenza, Valenza, and Lucca. The exhibition became itinerant with subsequent displays in Brazil at the Pinacoteca Nazionale of São Paulo during the "Italica Ornamenta" event, subsequently moving to nearby Argentina to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires for the VII Biennale of Architecture.

5. Designers' Hall (2000 - Donation by Aretine Companies; 2002 - Total Gold Gattinoni; 2003 - It Jewels, 30 Designers for Oro d’Autore; 2005 - Goldsign and 2012 - Past for-Ward Borbonese)

The new century commenced with a donation from seven Aretine companies to the "Oro d’Autore" collection, each contributing a piece of jewelry that best represented their craftsmanship: Aurart donated a gold necklace with intricate filigree; Centoundiciaerre offered a necklace with embossed gold sheets featuring ‘liquid’ surface textures; Elledi provided a gold necklace with filigree and granulation; Fratelli Chini donated a pierced cross, adorned with gems, and decorated with filigree and granulation; Gruppo Graziella presented an industrial slave bracelet made of gold, diamonds, and rubies; Uno A Erre contributed a pin inspired by Etruscan goldsmithing using granulation techniques; and Furini Loris offered a silver ring designed by painter Mark Kostabi. In the summer of 2000, the entire collection was showcased in Santiago, Chile. The year 2002 marked a pivotal moment for the collection: for the first time, it incorporated creativity linked to fashion, marking the first encounter between jewelry and fashion. During the “Oro Arezzo” event, the project “Total Gold: Luxury and Creativity between Fashion and Jewelry” was presented in collaboration with Maison Gattinoni, the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, the European Institute of Design in Rome, and Aretine jewelry companies, coordinated by the Promotion and Services Center; the 17 creations of “Total Gold” were displayed in the Lower Basilica of San Francesco in Arezzo. During the same “Oro Arezzo” event, the March 2002 supplement of Vogue Gioiello was created and presented, a volume curated by Cristina Lucchini dedicated to the city of Arezzo, its artistic beauties, and naturally its tradition in goldsmithing and the production of the companies. In February 2003, the significant exhibition “It Jewels, 30 Designers for Oro d’Autore,” was celebrated in Milan at the Palazzo della Ragione. Thanks to the collaboration with Vogue Gioiello and the sponsorship of the National Chamber of Italian Fashion, the collection expanded with the bold formal explorations of the world's most renowned designers: to name a few, Armani, Laura Biagiotti, Blumarine, Chiara Boni, Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, Gianfranco Ferré, Alberta Ferretti, Missoni, Moschino, Trussardi, Versace, and Vivienne Westwood. In 2004, the Promotion and Services Center, in conjunction with the Tuscany Region, and again in collaboration with Vogue Gioiello, scheduled “Gold Sign,” the first international design competition for goldsmithing entirely developed online, with more than 250 creations submitted via the internet. Within six months, a special jury selected 32 finalists, each paired with an Aretine goldsmithing company that realized their designs for the "Oro d’Autore" collection. Vogue Gioiello divided the finalists into eight thematic areas, and the following designers won, awarded during “Oro Arezzo” 2005: Amy C. Lamenzo for Harmonies, Gaby Simão for Contrasts, Angelo Catalani for Weaves, Norlon Towe for Reflections, Cristina Carrara for Sparks, Patricia Frota for Facets, Manuela Gandini for Shades, and Petri Malinen for Sinusoids.

5.1 Educational Room

Along the entire right wall, a frontal display case houses most of the previously available educational materials. Exhibited are tools, utensils, dies, and elements required for alloy preparation, along with the three basic semi-finished products in goldsmithing (sheets, wires, and tubes), as well as reproductions of pure gold ingots. On the left wall, machinery for the industrial production of chains and a four-station workbench from the 1950s, an iconic representation of Arezzo's goldsmith workshops, are displayed. The industrial archaeology section showcases old machinery and tools, documenting the initial technological aids applied to the goldsmith industry: machines for the creation of historical chains from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, mechanical engraving (the guilloché), and the construction of beads, along with tools for repoussé and chasing, engraving, and setting precious stones.

6. Borsalino Hall

In the year 2011, the ORODAUTORE collection was enriched with new creations linked to the worlds of fashion and luxury, once again in collaboration with Vogue Gioiello and the historic Borsalino brand. The collection includes 18 hats that have made history, each adorned with jewels designed specifically for the occasion by the maison itself and crafted by Aretine goldsmiths, giving life to the exhibition "Golden Hat_titude." This collection dresses "with the precious forms of gold d'auteur the visionary dimension of an adornment that, today as in the past, represents the pinnacle of timeless elegance: the Borsalino hat. An expression of an entirely Italian story, Borsalino has meant 'hat' for over 150 years…" This collection has also been sought after in Europe and around the world. In 2012, the latest edition of ORODAUTORE was presented: “PAST for-WARD”, born from the partnership between “Oro Arezzo”, Vogue Gioiello and the historic maison Borbonese. For this occasion, special jewels and ornaments were designed that, in addition to being wearable, had the characteristic of decorations to be applied to bags, shoes and boots.

7. "... I Took My Place with the Goldsmith. Homage to Vasari"

In 2024, the city of Arezzo commemorated the 450th anniversary of Giorgio Vasari's death with a year-long series of exhibitions and events celebrating the renowned Aretine figure. This provided the opportunity to propose a special edition of ORODAUTORE dedicated to the great artist. The exhibition program aimed to invite over 25 artists and designers, with a focus on those from our region, who were asked to create a piece of jewelry or ornament inspired by and dedicated to Vasari. Vasari was the first art historian, founder of Florence's Accademia del Disegno, a successful architect and urban planner, a refined draftsman, painter, decorator, and scenographer who served popes, dukes and grand dukes, princes, prestigious monastic communities, nobles, and bankers. In this exhibition, particular attention was given to those master goldsmiths who committed to executing specific aspects of their project, especially in embossing, chiseling, engraving, creating textured surfaces, gilding, wax modeling, medal modeling, and other innovative techniques. These efforts aimed to bring education to life through laboratory practices, intended for young middle school students who have yet to define their educational and career paths.