Archive note: this exhibition has ended. It was held at the Museum of Fashion and Costume in Pitti Palace from 17 December 2019 to 19 April 2020.
Footwear from antiquity to cinema and fashion
At the Feet of the Gods, curated by Lorenza Camin, Caterina Chiarelli and Fabrizio Paolucci, explored the many roles of footwear in Western culture from antiquity to the present day.
The exhibition brought together around eighty works and examples of footwear used between the fifth century BC and the fourth century AD. Archaeological objects, reliefs and painted vases were placed alongside exceptional finds such as shoes from the Roman fort of Vindolanda in northern England.
The ancient world was then compared with modern fashion and cinema. Designs by names such as Emilio Pucci, Salvatore Ferragamo and Yves Saint Laurent appeared alongside shoes created for epic films, including the sandals associated with Cleopatra, Ben-Hur and Gladiator.
A multimedia installation completed the exhibition, connecting archaeology, fashion and the imagery of the big screen.
