Cesare Brandi graduated in Law in 1927 at the University of Siena and in literature in 1928 at the University of Florence. Free Professor of Medieval and Modern Art History at the University of Rome since 1934, he was called to the Chair of the History of Medieval and Modern Art at the University of Palermo in 1961. In 1930 he began his career in the Administration of Antiquities and Fine Arts at the Soprintendenza ai Monumenti e Gallerie di Siena and in 1933, having become Inspector, he moved to the Soprintendenza ai Monumenti di Bologna where he organized a first restoration workshop. In 1936, he was called to Rome with inspection functions at the Antiquities and Fine Arts Department, then accepted the appointment as Superintendent of Studies in Udine, then the transfer with the mixed position of Superintendent and Superintendent in the Governorate of the Italian Aegean Islands. In 1938 he was recalled to his homeland with the specific task of creating the Central Institute of Restoration of which he was appointed director from 1939 to 1959. From 1948 he began his relations with UNESCO and a long series of activities with foreign countries. In 1953 he became Soprintendente of the Administration of Antiquities and Fine Arts. After having been secretary of the magazine "Le Arti" with Giulio Carlo Argan, he founded in 1947, and directed until 1950, the critical and literature magazine "L’immagine ". Also in 1950 he founded the "Bollettino dell'Istituo Centrale del Restauro". With Argan he received the Feltrinelli Prize for art criticism from the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei in 1959. He received the following honors in his lifetime: Commander of the Order of Merit of the Republic in 1954; Commander of the Order of Leopold II in 1958; appointment as Academy Officer for the increase of Italian-French cultural exchanges granted by the French Embassy in 1950; Gold medal for the Meritorious of Culture in 1960.
historian's relations
Books, catalogs and collections of writings: Brandi, C. (1931). Rutilio Manetti 1571-1639. Siena: Arti Grafiche Lazzeri
Brandi, C. (1933). La regia Pinacoteca di Siena. Roma: La Libreria dello stato
Brandi, C. (Ed.). (1935). Mostra della Pittura riminese del Trecento. Rimini: Garattoni
Brandi, C. (1947). Giovanni di Paolo. Firenze: Le Monnier
Brandi, C. (1949). Quattrocentisti senesi. Milano: U. Hoepli
Brandi, C. (1960). Spazio italiano, ambiente fiammingo. Milano: Il Saggiatore
Brandi, C. (1967). Struttura e architettura. Torino: Einaudi
Brandi, C. (1970). La prima architettura barocca: Pietro da Cortona, Borromini, Bernini. Bari: Laterza
Brandi, C. (1980). Disegno della pittura italiana. Torino: Einaudi
Brandi, C. (1985). Disegno dell'architettura italiana. Torino: Einaudi
Critical essayes on contemporary art: Brandi, C. (1942). Morandi. Firenze: Le Monnier
Brandi, C. (1952). La fine dell'avanguardia e l'arte d'oggi. Roma: Edizioni della Meridiana
Brandi, C. (1962). Georges Braque: l'opera grafica. Milano: Il Saggiatore
Brandi, C. (1963). Burri. Roma: Editalia
Manzù, G. (1964). La porta di S. Pietro. St. Gallen: Erker
Brandi, C. (1976. 1979). Scritti sull'arte contemporanea. Torino: Einaudi
Brandi, C. (Ed.). (1977). Afro. Roma: Editalia
Travel books: Brandi, C. (1954). Viaggio nella Grecia antica. Firenze: Vallecchi
Brandi, C. (1958). Città del deserto. Milano: Mondadori
Brandi, C. (1960). Pellegrino di Puglia. Bari: Laterza
Brandi, C. (1963). Verde Nilo. Bari: Leonardo da Vinci
Brandi, C. (1968). Martina Franca. Milano: Le Noci
Brandi, C. (1970). A passo d'uomo. Milano: Bompiani
Brandi, C. (1973). Budda sorride. Torino: Einaudi
Brandi, C. (1978). Persia mirabile. Torino: Einaudi
Brandi, C. (1982). Diario cinese. Torino: Einaudi
Brandi, C. (1986). Umbria vera. Roma: Edizioni della Cometa
Brandi, C. (1987). Aria di Siena: i luoghi, gli artisti, i progetti. Roma: Editori riuniti
Theoretical books: Brandi, C. (1960). Segno e immagine. Milano: Il Saggiatore
Brandi, C. (1963). Teoria del restauro. Torino: Einaudi
Brandi, C. (1960). Le due vie. Bari: Laterza
Brandi, C. (1974). Teoria generale della critica. Torino: Einaudi
Brandi, C. (1947). Carmine, o Della pittura: con due saggi su Duccio e Picasso. Firenze: Vallecchi
Brandi, C. (1956). Arcadio, o Della Scultura. Torino: Einaudi
Brandi, C. (1956). Eliante, o Dell'Architettura. Torino: Einaudi
Brandi, C. (1957). Celso, o Della Poesia. Torino: Einaudi.
Cesare Brandi