Andreina Contessa Appointed Director of Accademia Gallery and Bargello Museums

Andreina Contessa has been appointed as the new director of the Galleria dell’Accademia and the Bargello Museums, two of the most important cultural institutions in Florence. Her nomination, part of a broader wave of appointments announced by Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli, follows the recommendations of the national evaluation commission for top-tier museum leadership positions.

An accomplished art historian and museum curator, Contessa brings with her decades of experience in museum management, digital cataloguing, and cultural heritage innovation. Since 2020, she has led the Regional Museum Directorate of Friuli Venezia Giulia and previously served as director of the Historical Museum and Park of Miramare Castle in Trieste.

Contessa holds a Ph.D. from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she also lived for several years. During her time in Israel, she directed the Nahon Museum of Italian Jewish Art and developed significant expertise in Jewish art and heritage. Her work has increasingly focused on environmental sustainability in the museum context.

Her appointment to the helm of both the Accademia Gallery—home to Michelangelo’s David—and the network of Bargello Museums marks a significant new chapter in Florence’s museum landscape. The Bargello group includes the Bargello National Museum, the Medici Chapels, Palazzo Davanzati, and Orsanmichele.

The ministry also announced the appointment of new directors to other major Italian institutions: Francesco Sirano at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Federica Rinaldi at the National Roman Museum, Paola D’Agostino at the Royal Museums of Turin, Simone Quilici at the Colosseum Archaeological Park in Rome.

The nomination was praised by Eike Schmidt, former director of the Uffizi and current head of the Capodimonte Museum in Naples, who called it “an excellent choice.” Now also serving as a city councilor in Florence, Schmidt welcomed the decision along with fellow members of the civic list bearing his name, citing Contessa’s previous collaborations with Florence and her deep knowledge of Italian heritage.

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