From 22 May to 24 August 2025, in co-operation with the Turin City Museum of Ancient Art Palazzo Madama, as well as thanks to the support of the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation and the Embassy of the Italian Republic in Latvia, the Art Museum RIGA BOURSE in Riga (Doma laukums 6) presents an exhibition Palazzo Madama. Arts and Crafts in Italy, 6th–19th Centuries inviting to view more than one hundred brilliant examples of Italian decorative and applied art.
22 May – 24 August 2025
Art Museum RIGA BOURSE /
Great Exhibition Hall
Doma laukums 6, Riga
The extensive exhibition includes masterpieces from craft workshops and manufactories across various regions of Italy made between the 6th and 19th centuries, with a particular emphasis on the art of the late Middle Ages and the High Renaissance, housed in the collection of Palazzo Madama, the Museum of Ancient Art in Turin. Visitors will discover all the major Italian craftsmanship traditions – from the world-renowned Murano glass, Venetian enamels and Doge document covers, Renaissance bronzes and cameos to Lombard metalwork, Tuscan majolica, Neapolitan porcelain, textiles and lace, Piedmontese furniture, intricate carvings in wood, coral and ivory, and many other materials.
Professor Giovanni Carlo Federico Villa, Director of Palazzo Madama, notes: “Craftsmanship is the secret behind Italian creativity and genius. The exceptional skills and quality of execution have enabled great artists to elaborate works that have stood the test of time and captivated generations. Palazzo Madama, which holds a collection of 70,000 works and is one of the world’s largest applied arts collections, is highly pleased to engage in dialogue with the Art Museum RIGA BOURSE to produce an exhibition that, we hope, will delight Latvian audiences and strengthen the ties between our cultures.”
The selection of historical art objects is enriched by individual items of Italian maiolica and porcelain from the Foreign Art Collection of the Latvian National Museum of Art. For the first time, the Latvian public will be able to see – both in person and virtually – the legendary book The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects (1568 edition) by Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574), on loan from the Manuscript and Rare Book Department of the Library of the University of Latvia. Two unique Vasari volumes are demonstrated in the museum’s European Art Gallery.
A significant addition to the exposition are the descriptions and guides prepared by researchers from both Palazzo Madama and Art Museum RIGA BOURSE. These materials aim to help visitors navigate the history and specific features of different crafts and centers of craftsmanship. A comprehensive catalogue has also been published, serving both as an exhibition guide and a scholarly study on craft techniques, materials and the most important production centers. A broad programme of events will accompany the exhibition, beginning with Italy Day on 1 June.
The exhibition was created with the support of the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation and is part of its €1 million investment in major cultural events celebrating the Foundation’s 15th anniversary. The Art Museum RIGA BOURSE, together with the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation, have successfully implemented numerous exhibition projects, including Magnetism of Provence (2015), 12 Characters from the Prado Collection (2017), Advent, Christmas and Epiphany with PRADO (2024–2025), as well as Latvia’s first joint project with the Uffizi Gallery – an exhibition Self-Reflection. Tintoretto, Omar Galliani, Lorenzo Puglisi (2021).
“Projects involving serious long-term research and collaboration with international colleagues to create unique offerings specifically for Latvian audiences always bring the greatest satisfaction and public engagement. It often turns out that such projects are closely connected with the Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation, as monumental endeavors also require substantial long-term investment. We are deeply grateful to the Foundation, because this anniversary-year initiative was truly an ambitious challenge, and together we made it happen,” emphasizes Daiga Upeniece, Head of the Art Museum RIGA BOURSE.
Co-operation partners:
Palazzo Madama, Museo Civico d’Arte Antica / Fondazione Torino Musei
Exhibition supported by:
Boris and Ināra Teterev Foundation, with heartfelt gratitude to Ināra Tetereva – a cherished friend and distinguished patron of the Art Museum RIGA BOURSE
Embassy of the Italian Republic in Latvia, with personal gratitude to H.E. Ambassador Alessandro Monti and First Secretary Federico Palmieri
Head of the project and exhibition curator from the Italian side:
Prof. Giovanni Carlo Federico Villa, Director of Palazzo Madama / Turin City Museum of Ancient Art, Turin, Italy
Head of the project and exhibition curator from the Latvian side:
Daiga Upeniece, Head of the Art Museum RIGA BOURSE / Latvian National Museum of Art, Riga, Latvia
Ph: (+371) 67 228 776, E:
With the scientific collaboration of:
Giovanni Carlo Federico Villa, Daiga Upeniece, Clelia Arnaldi di Balme, Simone Baiocco, Simonetta Castronovo, Cristina Maritano, Paola Ruffino
Project managers from the Italian side:
Angela Anna Benotto, Elisabetta Rabajoli, Stefania Capraro / Fondazione Torino Musei
Project managers from the Latvian side:
Vita Birzaka, Ojūna Batbajara / Art Museum RIGA BOURSE / Latvian National Museum of Art
Exhibition design:
Reinis Suhanovs, Dina Suhanova / SIA Septiņi kvadrātmetri
Photographer of the Palazzo Madama interior:
Paolo Robino
Exhibition construction:
SIA Dekorāciju darbnīca, Emīls Eduards Murziņš, Kārlis Verners Baumanis / Art Museum RIGA BOURSE / Latvian National Museum of Art
Graphic design:
Kristīne Jansone / Art Museum RIGA BOURSE / Latvian National Museum of Art
Editor-in-chief of the exhibition catalogue:
Dr. art. Silvija Grosa
Educational programme:
Vita Ozoliņa, Ieva Velberga, Nikola Rundāne / Art Museum RIGA BOURSE / Latvian National Museum of Art
Advertising and media:
Vita Kraukle / SIA MRS Grupa
GSM: (+371) 26 620 517, E:
Anete Brakša / Art Museum RIGA BOURSE / Latvian National Museum of Art
GSM: (+371) 26 544 860, E:
Special thanks to:
Māra Lāce, Una Sedleniece, H.E. Andris Kravalis, Silvija Grosa, Zane Ernštreite, Valdis Bērziņš, Inga Mediņa, Aija Taimiņa, Imants Lancmanis, Lauma Lancmane, Eva Rotčenkova, Dainis Bruģis, Sandra Utāne, Ieva Krūmiņa, Rasma Pušpure, Līga Skariņa, Dzintra Spradzenko, Bruno Strautiņš, Aija Jansone, Andris Priede, Una Kastanovska, Reinis Joņins, Zane Lūse, Baiba Uburģe, Rūdolfs Cunskis, Indra Tuņa, Inta Tiltiņa, Kaspars Burvis, Iveta Priede, Cinzia Ravizza, Tiziana Caserta, Carmela Sirello, Tiziana Assogna, Simon Turner
