Conferences
The Borghese Gallery's scientific meetings lectures and study days.
“La Gioconda” at Galleria Borghese – Vanda Lisanti, Università di Napoli Federico II
The young scholar Vanda Lisanti, from the University of Naples Federico II, tells us that in 1911 the theft of “the Mona Lisa” from the Louvre shocked the world. Accidentally rediscovered in Florence in 1913, the masterpiece embarked on a memorable Italian tour before returning to Paris. While its stops at Uffizi Gallery and Pinacoteca di Brera are widely celebrated, many people are unaware of its spectacular stay in Rome, at Galleria Borghese, during the Christmas week of 1913. Formally welcomed at Termini Station by the Italian Minister of Education and the French ambassador, the Mona Lisa was escorted to the museum and exhibited as a “solo star” in the Hall of Silenus. To give voice exclusively to Leonardo, Caravaggio’s masterpieces were covered. The painting was displayed alone on an easel, protected by a green drape designed both to enhance its tones and to keep the public at a distance, ensuring a more intimate contemplation. It marked a groundbreaking turning point in museology. Until then, museums had largely been elite spaces reserved for specialists; during those days, however, the gallery welcomed an immense crowd of nearly 30,000 visitors. Families, women, and tourists stood for hours in endless lines despite the rain, eager for a chance to enter. The event radically transformed Galleria Borghese, anticipating the modern idea of a cultural institution that is open, democratic, and participatory. This intervention is part of the Project of Relevant National Interest (PRIN 2022) «Galleria Borghese and its publics, 1888-1938» and was carried out in collaboration with Galleria Borghese.
