Journey through Bargello’s history
The Palazzo del Podestà, also known as ‘del Bargello’ or ‘del Popolo’, houses the Bargello Museum since 1865. Established by royal decree, it became Italy’s first National Museum, and today it displays one of the most outstanding collections of Renaissance sculptures in the world. The building itself, located in the heart of Florence, can be considered a jewel of medieval Italian civil architecture.
In 2020, it underwent a restoration process that brought back the Bargello in all its splendor, thanks to the rehabilitation works of the exterior facade, the tower, the porticoed courtyard and rooms. The institution has commissioned Visivalab to make an informative video for its official reopening that serves as a presentation of the building as well as a promotion tool. We have taken care of both the production of images and contents that speak about the building’s architecture and its extensive history, which dates back to the 13th century.
CLIENT Musei del Bargello
YEAR 2021
FEATURES
- Informative and promotional video
- Creation of videostorytelling and videostoryboard
- Recording, editing and post-production of audiovisual images
- Animation of historical illustrations and engravings
- Entertaining and didactic content
- Teaser for social media
Project
Being Florence’s oldest civil building, the Bargello was a fundamental piece for the power balance and government of the city. Its construction began in 1255 as a seat for the Podestà and, in its beginnings, it was where they held the trials of traitors, among whom even Dante Alighieri was sentenced.
After that, for centuries it was used as a prison. This new function affected its architecture: the courtyard arches were walled up, all the mural paintings were whitewashed, and the rooms were turned into cells. The building didn’t recover its past value and glory until the mid-19th century, thanks to the rediscovery of Giotto’s frescoes in the Chapel of the Podestà, among which stands out Dante’s portrait.
Visivalab has undertaken the entire process related to the film’s production, from designing the storyboard and storytelling to the editing and post-production of all the audiovisual material. The script we proposed introduces the building’s intricate historical role in an entertaining and attractive way, with a voice-over narration on top of the evocative images that our recording team filmed.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
SOFTWARE
- Premiere Pro
- After Effects
HARDWARE
- Drones
- Gimbal camera stabilizers
VIDEO STORYBOARD
The video begins with a panoramic flight over Florence and the Bargello, with its tall Volognana tower cutting out against the city and the imposing dome of Santa Maria dei Fiori as a backdrop. The current images merge with animated antique illustrations and engravings that testify to the evolution of the building and the phases it has lived through.
The viewer embarks on a first-person journey through the magnificent rooms and exteriors, in a captivating and extremely realistic experience that captures the audience’s attention and transports them to the Tuscan palace.
To make it more dynamic, we have used different techniques and resources such as drone flights, panoramic images, low-angle shots and travelings that show the beauty of the architecture and its ornamentations, as well as the grandeur of the artworks and object collection exhibited in the museum. The most worthy of mention are the weapons from the Medici period and, of course, all the sculptures of the great Renaissance artists like Michelangelo, Donatello, Ghiberti and Brunelleschi.
The last section of the video is dedicated to the recent restoration, praising the great work and craftmanship of the professionals and conservators who have returned the building to its past magnificence.
VIDEO LAUNCHING
In order to maximize the film’s scope and make it reach as many people as possible, we have also developed a teaser intended for social networks and other promotion platforms. The film was released in a presentation ceremony attended by the mayor, other scholars and experts from the world of politics, art and history and the media.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
SOFTWARE
- Premiere Pro
- After Effects
HARDWARE
- Drones
- Gimbal camera stabilizers
