The Fondazione Roberto Longhi organizes a Summer Course on:
Collecting Prints and Drawings from the 16th to the 20th Century in Florence: Techniques, Papers, and Conservation
June 22nd – July 3rd, 2026
Set in the stunning surroundings of Villa Il Tasso in Florence – once home to art historian Roberto Longhi and writer Anna Banti, and now the headquarters of the prestigious Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte – this course offers a truly one-of-a-kind experience. Participants will have direct access to exceptional research tools and an extensive art collection featuring masterpieces from the 13th to the 20th century.
The Foundation is hosting an intensive two-week course dedicated to graphic arts, designed as a full immersion into one of Florence’s most remarkable collections. Guided by leading scholars and specialists, participants will explore over 400 historic drawings (both loose sheets and albums), an equal number of old master prints, and more than 200 contemporary works, including photographic prints.
The course also offers privileged access to the Foundation’s historical archive and photo library, which preserve numerous original documents and autographs by Roberto Longhi himself—who famously used drawing as a key method for studying and understanding works of art.
The program is further enriched by study visits and hands-on workshops developed in collaboration with some of Florence’s most important cultural institutions, including the Fondazione Buonarroti, Biblioteca Marucelliana, Fondazione Herbert P. Horne, and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure.
The main goal of the seminar is to build solid, practical skills in the field of graphic arts, with a focus on Florence and the Longhi–Banti collection. Topics include artistic schools (with special attention to the Florentine tradition), drawing and printmaking techniques, the function and classification of works on paper, materials and mounts, collectors’ marks, as well as essential notions of conservation, cataloguing, and exhibition design.
The program also includes a short printmaking workshop in collaboration with the historic Il Bisonte print studio in Florence.
At the end of the course, participants will receive a certificate of attendance.
APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS: The course is open to max 20 adults (18 + age): history, art history and related disciplines: junior students (under-graduate), graduate/ PhD, and senior amateurs.
COURSE ENROLLMENT: 3000€ (course, materials, visits, museum tickets)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: May 28th, 2026
INFO: shortcourses@fondazionelonghi.it
