Jan 09, 2026 / 2:20PM
Museum Meetings consist of a series of conversations dedicated to various aspects of art and museums, including art history, photography, anthropology, collecting, curation, techniques and media, conservation, and the role of museums and archives in society today. It originates in the Acton Collection at Villa La Pietra and expands to other art spaces in Florence and Italy. It is designed to attract a multidisciplinary group of students, not just those studying art or art history. All the meetings are conceived as discussions and envisage an active participation. Francesca Baldry, Collection Manager at Villa La Pietra, organizes the meetings and welcomes suggestions from students.
Wednesday, January 21, 12:00 p.m. – Villa La Pietra
(Light lunch included)
A Conservator’s Perspective on the Acton Collection
Matt Hays, Conservation Center, The Institute of Fine Arts, NYU
In this session, Matthew Hayes will lead an exploration of the Acton Collection through the lens of Technical Art History. Rather than viewing the artworks solely as finished aesthetic masterpieces, this discussion will treat them as complex physical “archives” that reveal their own histories of creation, survival, and transformation.
Friday, January 23, Day Trip
Roma
Group 1 – Cinecittà Movie Studios
Group 2 – Exhibition at Palazzo Braschi: Ville e Giardini di Roma: Una Corona di Delizie
On the afternoon the two groups will come together for the Itinerary in the city: Fountains.
In collaboration with OSL
Monday, February 2, 6:00 p.m. – Villa La Pietra
(Light refreshments included)
The Estate and Collections of Villa La Pietra: History, Practice, and Engagement
With an introduction to Museum Meetings & Terra Firma programs by Francesca Baldry, Villa La Pietra Collection Manager, and Nick Dakin-Elliot, La Pietra Horticultural Associate.
MuseumMeetings/Terra Firma
Wednesday, February 4, 1:30 p.m. – Villa La Pietra
(Light lunch included)
From a Family Collection to a House Museum
Friday, February 13, morning – Museo degli Innocenti
Visit to the Exhibition: Toulouse-Lautrec, a journey through the Paris of the Belle Époque
Monday, February 16, 6:00 p.m. – Villa Sassetti
Sir Harold Acton and his Oxford Days
Mark Roberts, archivist and researcher
Monday, February 23, 1:30 p.m. – Villa La Pietra
(Light lunch included)
Portrait Drawings in the Collection and Acton Photo Archive
Wednesday, March 4, 12:00 p.m. – Villa La Pietra
(Light lunch included)
Ongoing Conservation Activities at Villa La Pietra
Visit to the Conservation Studio
Thursday, March 26, 12:00 p.m. – Uffizi Galleries (event cancelled)
From the Uffizi to the Prato Ovale: Flowers depicted in the Primavera
Part one. Look at and reflect upon the more than 150 species of wild flowers depicted in Botticelli’s famous Primavera painting. Discuss their iconography and their aesthetic contributions to this world-famous painting.
In collaboration with Terra Firma
Tuesday, March 31, 6:00 p.m. – Villa Sassetti
Myth, Might, and Misconduct: Visualizing Assault in Classical Mythology
Roundtable with Photographer Baptiste Lignel, Curator Anna Bisceglia, and Silvia Giorgi, NYU Florence Lecturer.
Wednesday, April 1, time tbc – Palazzo Medici Riccardi
Opening of the Exhibition: Firenze Déco
With the partnership of NYU Florence
Thursday, April 2, 12:00 p.m. – Garden of Villa La Pietra (event cancelled)
Prato Ovale and its Wild Flowers
Part two. Partake in a picnic on one of Villa Pietra’s biodiverse, flower-rich, lawns, search for some of the seven species of wild orchids that grow there, reflect on the environmental impact of lawns across the western world and discuss the notion of ‘beautiful’ lawns.
Wednesday, April 22, 6:00 p.m. – Villa La Pietra
Presentation of the students-based curatorial project:
Behind the Mask, between Performance, Disguise and Identity
Dates and times are subject to change. Check e-mails and notices for updates.
R.S.V.P. required for all lectures at lapietra.reply@nyu.edu
Join us on Instagram – @villalapietra