“The reception took place Feb. 4 at the Wally Findlay Gallery and honored Contessa Maria Vittoria Rimbotti, president of the Amici degli Uffizi in Florence and its American counterpart, the American Friends of the Uffizi Gallery.”

“Daniela di Lorenzo, Friends of the Uffizi Gallery (Palm Beach) at the Palm Beach Jewelry, Art and Antique Show 2013 – Frank J Cunningham for MUSEUMVIEWS.”

“The Palm Beach-based nonprofit, Friends of the Uffizi Gallery, along with their sister organization in Italy, Amici degli Uffizi, have fully funded the new Michelangelo Room on the second floor of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. The project included re-construction of the room, as well as the re-installation of a significant work by Michelangelo, “Tondo Doni,” and works by his contemporaries, as well as a sculpture that inspired him…”

“The bright red walls of the room also host art works by other painters of the same period – Fra Bartolomeo, Mariotto Albertinelli, Andrea del Sarto, Franciabigio – while the monumental marble statue of Arianna (also known as Cleopatra) lies in the middle. The whole project has been funded by the Friends of the Uffizi Gallery and the Amici degli Uffizi organizations.”

“More space was also created when the display of works in the Michelangelo room was thematically reorganised. That project was funded by the Palm Beach-based non-profit organisation, Friends of the Uffizi Gallery, along with their sister organisation in Italy, Amici degli Uffizi…”

“In 2006, Contessa Rimbotti further expanded the mission by helping to establish a U.S.-based sister organization, Friends of the Uffizi, a nonprofit headquartered in Palm Beach, Florida. The two organizations now work in tandem to raise funds and awareness in Italy and the U.S…“

“According to Uffizi Gallery director Antonio Natali, speaking live from Italy during a press conference at the Italian consulate in Philadelphia on the 12th of April, ‘these paintings are rarely seen because they are in the secret rooms of the Uffizi…’”

“…Weller is..an enthusiastic supporter, sitting on the Board of Advisors for the organization Friends of the Uffizi Gallery….he explains,’Some incredible Americans, Mary Jo Zingale and Lisa Marie Browne, are committed to restoring the beautiful gifts that Italy has given the world…’”

“This may be the last time many of the pieces are allowed to travel away from the Uffizi, Carioni said. Many of them had been in storage at the famous museum, but renovation projects underway now will create new galleries and spaces to display them when they return home…”

“Katsiff says the collection includes oil paintings, paintings on copper and tile and tempura paintings from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. He says the paintings trace the life of Jesus Christ — reflective of a time when art and religion went hand-in-hand…”

“’The Uffizi is the world’s greatest museum for the study of Italian art,’ Ahl said. The museum, built by the Medicis in the 16th century, has thousands of works and not nearly enough space to display all of them. None of the paintings and tapestries in this exhibit have been displayed in public in Florence…’”

“’Offering of the Angels’ transports the visitor to the historic realm in which artistic achievement arose from religious devotion and faith, a period of time that found God to be the center of the universe and professions, such as art, that spoke of his omniscience. It’s a journey of faith, and an inspiring journey at that…”

Ambassador: The Magazine of the National Italian American Foundation, Spring 2012

“The exhibition made its transatlantic journey through the efforts of the Palm Beach-based nonprofit Friends of the Uffizi Gallery. The organization grew, promoting ‘the Medici family’s long-standing tradition for all of Florence and the world to enjoy its artistic treasures,’ says Lisa Marie Browne, its executive director…”

“Lisa Marie Browne, executive director of the Friends — who has done her own studies at the Uffizi — pronounces the exhibition ‘a dream come true. We’ve always wanted to bring a Uffizi exhibition to the museum in Fort Lauderdale…’”/td>

“Friends of the Uffizi will share its mission with 150 guests attending a private Sotheby’s preview tonight. The works on display will include ‘Jupiter and Antiope’ by Hendrick Goltzius, with a high estimate of $12 million, and a Canaletto Venetian scene estimated to sell for as much as $2 million…”

“There are many newly restored works in the Uffizi Gallery thanks to the effort and financial support the Friends of the Uffizi Gallery has provided. Their current fundraising efforts are going to the Lacoon Restoration onsite at the Uffizi, under the keen eye of Director Antonio Natali…”

“Contessa Maria Vittoria Rimbotti, president of the international Amici degli Uffizi, or Friends of the Uffizi, spent four days in Cleveland and toured the Cleveland Museum of Art as part of an outreach mission to the U.S…“

“The resilience of the Uffizi is appropriate for the city that defied conventions and saw the birth of the Renaissance. ‘Every room is full of masterpieces, and together they chart, almost decade by decade, how the Renaissance developed,’ says Syracuse University professor Gary Radke, a specialist in Italian Renaissance art. ‘Spend time with the masterpieces, examine them closely and come back again…’”