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Rehabilitation of the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence

1969; Johns Hopkins University Press; Volume: 10; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/tech.1969.a892316

1097-3729

Maria Luisa Righini Bonelli,

Italian Literature and Culture

Museums REHABILITATION OF THE ISTITUTO E MUSEO DI STORJA DELLA SCIENZA IN FLORENCE MARIA LUISA RIGHINI BONELLI On November 4, 1966 the Arno River, already a swollen stream at that time, literally invaded Florence and left in its wake a tale of violent destruction as well as one of profound sadness. I cannot easily recall our first reaction when we realized that our Museum was being inundated by a floating mixture of mud, broken furniture, parts of trees, and empty bottles. It was not personal fear, of course, but a feeling of dismay and helplessness as I witnessed so great a disaster without any possibility of saving the many things I knew should be saved. I was obliged to watch the destruction of historical instruments I had collected and restored over many years. My first attempts to save all that I could carry to the upper floors were curtailed because the rushing waters rose rapidly to shoulder level and it became impossible for me to remain on the ground floor. Since I was alone in the building, the largest group of heavy instru­ ments, especially the electromagnetic and electrostatic machines, could not be saved, for it would have taken the strength of five or six specially trained men to move them. The furious rush of water increased in vio­ lence for twelve hours, and I thought for a time that the water level would reach the first floor as well as the ground floor. Consequently, I decided to transfer most of the precious materials across the upper walls of both buildings to the neighboring Galleria degli Uffizi. By 2:00 a.m. on November 5 the torrent had spent all its fury. When the Arno again receded to its normal level, we found that the destruction left in its wake was enormous. The heaviest instruments had been swept through five or six rooms and were reduced completely to bits of broken glass and copper. It seemed at first as if nothing could be saved. Fortunately, that proved not to be the case. Now, almost two years later, I see a vast number of things restored, although many more Dr. Bonelli is director of the Institute and Museum of the History of Science in Florence. 62 F ig . 1. — Antique bicycle collection, restored after the flood with the aid of the contrib ution from the Society for the History of Techno logy. Courtesy Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Florence. Fig. 2.—Part of the electrostatic material rescued after the flood and placed in condition to await restoration. Note the water mark on the wall, indicating the level reached by the floodwaters. Courtesy Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza, Florence. Museums 63 things are yet to be worked on. The great technical skill of devoted artisans has already produced miracles of restoration. The instruments newly created by them bear little resemblance to the shattered pieces we found in the mud. But such perfection requires time, and only about half of all the materials that we retrieved from the mud have been re­ stored. Much remains to be done. The generous contributions that came from all over the world have made all of this possible. Never before had I appreciated the value of money as I did in the midst of the destruction left by the flood waters. The damaged materials belong to the world of culture, and in a sense to all of us. Consequently, these donations were not an act of charity, but were given to reclaim for all of us the cultural heritage that is of impor­ tance and value in all lands. It may be felt by some that the new materials used in the reconstruc­ tion betray in their brightness their modern origins. But they are des­ tined to exist again for many centuries, and dust and time will soon reduce them to the appearance of the originals. It is with appreciation and gratitude that we recall the institutions and the individuals who have made it financially possible to reconstruct not only parts of an instrument but whole groups of instruments within a given collection. The contribution of the Society of the History of Technology...