Some 30 excellent medals issued during the papacy of Pius IX from a private collection will be featured at the Bottacin Museum from March 14 to May 18.
In the exhibition Pius IX the Last Pope King, curated by Adalberto Merola of the Circolo Numismatico Patavino, the medals are displayed in chronological order from the year of Cardinal Giovanni Maria Battista Pietro Pellegrino Isidoro Mastai-Ferretti’s election to the papacy under the name Pius IX (1846), thus helping to follow his pastoral and political path. All the works turn out to be of great technical-stylistic quality and high engraving expertise: in fact, the papal mint and the names of internationally renowned engravers and medallists guarantee the highest artistic result. Among the authors we find the Bolognese Piccioli, Pietro Girometti, Giuseppe and Francesco Bianchi and Nicola Cerbara, but also the German engraver in charge of the Royal Mint of Bavaria Carl Friedrich Voigt.
The exhibition is the result of a decade-long collaboration between the Bottacin Museum and the Circolo Numismatico Patavino, an example of synergy between museum institution and cultural association. This collaboration has allowed for years to deepen expand and enrich the knowledge of numismatics and medallistics, with monthly meetings open to the public and thematic exhibitions.
Opening on Thursday, March 13, 5 p.m. Followed by an escorted tour with exhibition curator Adalberto Merola.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays, not holidays).
Information: Bottacin Museum (second floor Palazzo Zuckermann). Admission with ticket from the Padua City Museums.
