“Antichi Strumenti Orafi” of the Garuti Collection – The Virtual Exhibition

Abstract

The “Antichi Strumenti Orafi” Virtual Exhibition is a multidisciplinary project developed by The Department of History and Cultures of the University of Bologna in collaboration with the Garuti Collection’s owner, Adelmo Garuti. Garuti, a goldsmith in retirement, has been collecting tools and machineries related to his profession for years, and has placed them in Sasso Marconi (Bologna, Italy). This unique Collection shows the inside of the old goldsmiths’ workshops, giving us the opportunity to rediscover a world that has changed dramatically since the coming of Information Technology and 3D Computer Graphics in the gold working industry. This Virtual Exhibition (www.antichistrumentiorafi.it) (Fig. 1) shows the most relevant objects of the Garuti Collection and describes their functioning, so the visitor can follow each step of the precious metals working process. The objects can also speak on their own about the workshops they belonged and about their producers. That gives the visitor the opportunity to know something more about goldsmithing in Bologna - the main city represented in the Collection – and in general about this sector in Italy between the 19th and 20th century.