Des Pieuses Institutions Démidoff à Florence. Histoire et réglement, Florence, Typographie de la veuve Marie Marchini Annexée à l’Ecole Saint Nicolas, 1848 (French translation of: IDEM, Delle Pie Opere ed Istituzioni Demidoff in Firenze, 1848
Carlo Torrigiani (Florence 1807 - 1865)
As proved by the stamp of origin, this work came from the dispersed library of the sumptuous villa built in Florence by Nikolai Demidov. It is also marked with the initials 'SW.2', 'Meuble H2', which are probably references to the book's former location in the library. The volume contains the rules and organisation of the boys' school for the poor that Nikolai founded in Florence in 1828 in the district of San Niccolò, which was later largely financed by his son Anatolij. The text was written by the school's director, Marquis Carlo Torrigiani.
The work contains a dedication to the 'Maison de Bienfaisance Démidoff', an institution for poor girls that Anatoly Demidov founded in St. Petersburg in 1833, and is written in French, a language that Anatoly and his nephew and heir, Pavel Pavlovic (1839-1885), spoke fluently, as they lived in Paris for many years.
This copy entered the Uffizi Library as a 'gift by the Demidoff family' in June 1975, after the auction of the furnishings of Villa Demidoff in Pratolino, which was arranged by the last heir of the family, Paolo Karageorgevič, in 1969.
F. Borroni Salvadori, I Demidoff collezionisti a Firenze, “Annali della Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa”, Classe di Lettere e Filosofia, s.III, vol.XI, 3, 1981, pp. 937-1003; G. Bossi, “L’Istituto Demidoff”: la questione Torrigiani-Demidoff, in I Demidoff a Firenze e in Toscana, a cura di L. Tonini, Firenze, 1996, pp. 281-298; Sotheby’S of London, Catalogo dell’arredamento della villa Demidoff presso Firenze venduto per odine di S.A.R. il Principe Paolo di Jugoslavia. 21, 22, 23 e 24 aprile 1969 alla villa Demidoff, London, 1969.
