At the Great Hall of 500 in Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria, Florence last June 10th at 9.30 am, our very own kababayan, Lolita Valderrama Savage, was one of the recipients of this most magnificent and prestigious Award. This Award ceremony is part of the celebration of the Florence Biennale which will take place on October 6-15, 2017.
The awards program was started in 1976 by the Accademia Internazionale Medicea to give recognition to persons or institutions for their distinct merits in their contributions to arts and culture. This recognition evokes the story of Florence in its era of maximum splendor in the arts during the Renaissance in the time of Lorenzo de'Medici, referred to as "the Magnificent" (1449-1492), a humanist and great patron of the arts. The accademia wishes to see Florence continue to flourish, by being "reborn" (it. rinascere) as in those times through arts and culture. The image of Lorenzo de'Medici appears in the medal of the award that bears his name.
WHO WAS LORENZO DE'MEDICI, the MAGNIFICENT? He was the Lord of Florence,
Patron of the Arts of the Renaissance, he was one of the most active promoters of the
magnificence of the Italian Renaissance. Lorenzo was a writer and a humanist, he
surrounded himself with artists and men of culture of his time and promoted the artistic development of the city that he governed, Florence. Thanks to him, the first European Academy of Art was founded, where many artists studied, among which was the very young Michelangelo.
Lolita will be among the 10 international recipients of Lorenzo de'Medici's medal
for 2017.