Sculpted Heritage

Palazzo Cybo-Malaspina, the current seat of the Carrara Academy of Fine Arts, is one of the most significant sites for understanding the city’s artistic, educational, and cultural history. Since its foundation in 1769, the Academy has been the primary centre for artistic training and a vital hub for local, national, and international cultural life. These characteristics have consolidated its role not only as an institution of Higher Artistic Education, but also as a custodian of the city’s and region’s artistic heritage.

The Academy’s holdings include an important collection of marble works from different periods: ancient marbles, primarily of Roman date; medieval and Renaissance sculptures, many originating from the Cathedral of Sant’Andrea; and works by prominent sculptors who have worked in Carrara. This collection developed thanks to bequests from distinguished local families, such as the Del Medico, Sarteschi, and Lazzoni, made in September 1861. Through these donations, Palazzo Cybo-Malaspina became the city’s foremost centre for the preservation of artistic heritage.

The Palazzo is also of great architectural interest. Originally conceived as a defensive structure in the early Middle Ages, it later became one of the residences of the Cybo-Malaspina family. These successive changes in use brought about significant expansions and alterations to the building’s plan and structure, traces of which remain visible today in the surviving capitals, bas-reliefs, vaults, furnishings, and commemorative plaques. The building is therefore the product of a stratification of interventions extending into the early twentieth century, reflecting the evolving functional needs of each period.

This research and enhancement project is grounded in historical and critical investigation, focusing on a selection of artefacts that bear witness to the Academy’s rich collecting tradition - serving both as study models for young artists and as evidence of its enduring role as the city’s conservation centre.

Actions

• Conduct a mapping survey of the marble elements incorporated into the architectural structure of Palazzo del Principe / Castello Cybo-Malaspina, including a preliminary identification of sculptures, architectural marble artefacts, and commemorative plaques that have not yet been inventoried, as well as those documented but now missing.
• Create an inventory and relational catalogue of artistic and decorative marble works associated with the various construction phases of the Palazzo, from the foundation of the medieval tower to the renovation and restoration works carried out between the two World Wars.
• In a subsequent phase, proceed with the cataloguing of works not included in the ICCD OA records, using the expedited ministerial form (MIDV) or another model agreed upon with the lead institution. The data will be entered into the SIGeCWeb platform, while a small, selected group of records, chosen for their historical and documentary significance, will be published in enhanced form on the IartNET database.