Art, expertise, material and creativity merge into one great story: Italian jewellery. The Vicenza Jewellery Museum tells the story through the new “Jewellery – Italy. Material Technique Art. Between Ancient and Modern” exhibition, devised and curated by internationally-renowned scholar, Paola Venturelli. The exhibition, which opens to the public today, 28th November, will be available to visitors until the end of 2027. Hosted inside the Basilica Palladiana , a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994, it marks the start of a new exhibition cycle for the Museum – the first in Italy and one of only a few in the world dedicated exclusively to the art of jewellery.

Of extraordinary importance due to the quality and iconic charm of the works on display and prestigious collaborations with Museums and Foundations, the exhibition enhances the exceptional nature of Italian jewellery in a continuous story that unfolds in eleven stages inside the Museum’s six rooms. A journey that spans more than two millennia of history — from 5th century BC to the early 21st century—to reveal how art, technique and material merge in timeless masterpieces. The over 150 works displayed, including single jewels and sets, as well as everyday objects such as handbags, cosmetic bags, precious containers, three paintings and two Apulian ceramics from 330-310 BC, set the pace of this chronological and thematic journey.

The materials, gold, coral, semiprecious stones, glass, micromosaic, gems and unconventional materials, together with manufacturing techniques, convey the expressive plurality of Italian jewellery and its ability to combine craftsmanship, inventiveness and innovation. Technical and artistic perfection unfolds before the eyes of the visitor: extremely difficult Etruscan granulation is given new life in a set from the second half of the twentieth century, stimulating innovative interpretations in a more recent work.

Following the exhibition itinerary, the visitor will see a constant dialogue between goldsmith art and figurative arts: Pompeian wall paintings inspire coral craftsmen, a lava stone brooch is incited by the colossal marble bust of Jupiter Serapis from 2nd-3rd AD in the Vatican Museums, while the plan of “La Rotonda”, the famous Palladian villa just outside Vicenza, is honoured in a pendant. The shell cameos of a sumptuous parure refer to famous carvings by Antonio Pichler and Antonio Berini, and a blood jasper cameo, traced back to Valerio Belli, famous goldsmith, master of glyptics and the pride of Renaissance Vicenza.

The exhibition is further enriched by two special sections. The first is dedicated to Vicenza. Between Ancient and Modern, the exhibition offers the most relevant works in the area’s goldsmith history. These include three pieces of extraordinary value: a ring and a cross from the Lombard era, an unprecedented and highly valuable gold votive crown with gems and cameos, and a jewelled collar with pendant donated in 1604 by the noble Caldogno family from Vicenza.

The second special section is Artist and Designer Jewellery. Here contaminations between contemporary art and jewellery from Futurism to Kinetic Art are explored with protagonists from the School of Padua and the Marche. Sketches, drawings and prototypes testify to the creative process that leads from the design to the product.

To underline the value of craftsmanship and innovation in goldsmith art, a small section on the ground floor displays madreforme moulds and several models for bracelets, chains and pendants from the Angelo Tovo company in Creazzo, which closed in 2005 after about fifty years of activity. The company produced moulds and shears for jewellery factories in the area.

“The 2025-2027 biennial exhibition originates frowm extraordinary collaboration with museums and foundations throughout Italy, particularly with Vicenza’s museums, establishing a profound dialogue with the city and the local territory.

The exhibition itinerary, divided into eleven chronological and thematic stages, aims to tell the story of the excellence of Italian jewellery. Approximately 150 works, from ancient to contemporary creations, highlight the materials, techniques and artisanal knowledge that constitute a fundamental element of our material culture. We want people to realize that jewellery is much more than an ornament: it is memory, narration and a bridge between past, present and future.” Paola Venturelli, curator of the Jewellery Museum art historian.

She specializes in goldsmithing, jewellery history, collecting and fashion with a predilection for the Italian context. From these perspectives, she also approached Leonardo da Vinci in a completely new way. She has published monographic volumes, papers for Italian and international conferences, essays, and articles in many different books and in specialized journals and sits on Scientific Committees of prestigious exhibitions, both in Italy and abroad. She has organized and curated exhibitions, setting up and studying important museum collections. She has alternated these activities with university teaching. She is a consultant for various museum institutions, including the Vatican Museums.

Senior Curator of the Rubelli Foundation (Venice), she is Scientific Director of the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation (Florence). Since 2024 she has been the Curator at the Vicenza Jewellery Museum.

The scientific committee comprises Caterina Ascione, Maria Concetta di Natale, Federica Giacobello, Roberta Piccinelli

The ‘Massimo Pallottino’ National Archaeological Museum, Melfi. The National Archaeological Museum, Taranto. The Ascione Coral Museum, Naples. Palazzo Chiericati Civic Museum, Vicenza. ‘Pietro G. Nonis’ Diocesan Museum, Vicenza. Natural Archaeological Museum, Vicenza. ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ National Science and Technology Museum, Milan. The Risorgimento Museum – Palazzo Moriggia, Milan. UnoAerre Industries Historical Museum, Arezzo. Palazzo d’Arco Museum and Foundation, Mantua. Fabriano and Cupramontana Cassa di Risparmio Foundation. Giacomo Manzù Foundation. Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation.