The Novecento Museum

The Novecento museum (Museum of the 1900s) is housed in the ancient monumental complex of the Spedale delle Leopoldine in Santa Maria Novella. It is dedicated to the art of the twentieth century and offers a selection of Italian art works from the first half of the twentieth century.

Part of the exhibited works arrived in Florence thanks to the art critic and historian Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti, who launched an international call to action to the whole art community. Right after the disastrous flood of November 4, 1966 he invited all Italian and non-Italian artists and art collectors to donate a piece of art to the city in order to compensate with works of modern art the numerous recent losses suffered by the Florentine artistic heritage.

The initiative was a great success as large numbers of artists responded to Ragghianti's appeal. Over 280 artists, some locals such as Sergio Scatizzi and others simply lovers of Florence, such as Lucio Fontana, Emilio Vedova and Marino Marini donated some of their works.

In 1963 the municipal collection of the twentieth century was enriched by a series of paintings by Ottone Rosai which were donated by his widow Francesca Fei and brother Oreste.

The increasingly consistent arrival of donations created the basis for the establishment of the International Museum of Contemporary Art, the MIAC, a project conceived and strongly desired by Ragghianti, and supported by the then Mayor of Florence, Piero Bargellini.

In 1970 another important result was achieved when the Alberto della Ragione Collection enriched the already important artistic museum collection: “... conoscendo e apprezzando la operosa e nobile attività del Prof. Ragghianti per dotare la Città di Firenze di un centro promozionale d'arte contemporanea, atto a rifare della Città una viva capitale d'arte, desidero affiancarla e concorrere al suo successo” (knowing and appreciating the industrious and noble activity of Prof. Ragghianti, who equipped the City of Florence with a promotional center of contemporary art, designed to make the city a lively art capital, I wish to support it and contribute to its success.)

It was with these words that Alberto della Ragione, patron and art lover, donated his collection which included 241 representative works of Italian art from between 1920 and 1945 and which was already considered one of the largest collections of Italian contemporary art.