“I think we’re all immigrants, we’re all travelers, especially in the world today, and our job is to make those travels – no matter how big or small – as interesting as possible, as enriching as they can be for our soul, for our mind. I think this is the only way for us to really exist in this modern world where we are bombarded with so much; by carving our own internal space, a personal geography. I think that is our mission” Paola Vojnovic
I don’t exaggerate when I refer to this week’s guest, Paola Vojnovic, as a Renaissance woman. In addition to being a Renaissance art historian and an authority on culture management, Paola embodies the very spirit of the Renaissance with everything she does, especially with her Studiolo. The studiolo was a sacred inner sanctum for study, contemplation, and discourse inside Renaissance palazzi, and a keystone in the culture of Renaissance humanism. Inspired by it, for the past five years, Paola has been opening up her virtual Studiolo to the world, inviting engaged and curious individuals to take part in the conversations she has with illustrious guests – authors, thinkers, innovators, museum directors, and scholars – on a wide variety of topics related to Italy and the Renaissance. She is about to celebrate her 100th episode and her lineup of guests this season is nothing short of phenomenal.
I know our chat will give you great insight into the spirit of Paola’s Studiolo and the Renaissance, and draw you into the magical world she has crafted and where she creates meaningful and deep human connections through thought-provoking exchanges around art and beauty.
Biography
A Renaissance Art Historian and Culture Management expert, with deeply rooted experience in international arts projects and fundraising for culture in Italy, Paola Vojnovic is also a curator, published author and research scholar as well as a sought-after private tour guide for Florence. The recipient of a prestigious Renaissance Florence Fellowship from Syracuse University, New York, Paola has been active in the fields of arts and culture since 2000. Paola is also the creator and host of Paola’s Studiolo, the virtual meeting room of leading scholars, museum curators, and thinkers of our time. The series is inspired by the Renaissance concept of a studiolo (little studio), which was a room in 15th-century palaces specially designed for study and contemplation.
Paola Vojnovic earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in art history from Arizona State University (1999), her Master of Arts degree in Renaissance Art History from Syracuse University, New York (2008), and her second Master’s degree in Preservation and Management of Archaeological, Historical and Artistic Heritage from the Università di Siena, Italy (2010). She held internships at the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice (2000), the Pitti Palace/Galleria d’arte Moderna in Florence (2007), and for UNESCO in Serbia (2010).
Since 2008, she has taught art history at the British Institute and major American universities in Florence. From 2011 – 2019 Paola worked for Opera di Santa Croce, nonprofit in charge of the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, where among other projects, she oversaw fundraising. Successful campaigns provided funds for the restoration of the Loggia of the Pazzi Chapel, the tombs of Michelangelo, and Machiavelli, and many other works of art.
Paola’s research has been published in Città di Vita, Siti UNESCO, The Florentine, The Australian’s WISH magazine and other books and periodicals. With Opera di Santa Croce she produced two exhibitions: Sisters in Liberty, hosted by the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration, NY from October 2019 – September 2020; while Serbia terra di affreschi, organized in the collaboration with the National Museum of Belgrade, was featured at the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence; Church of Santissimi Apostoli in Rome, and the Church of Santa Maria della Salute in Viterbo in 2011-2012.
Paola edited two books, “The Basilica of Santa Croce: American Reflections” and “Il Ponte delle Immagini.” She also co-authored “Santa Croce in Pink,” a guidebook focusing on women buried or celebrated in the Basilica of Santa Croce.
Recently, Paola appeared in the ABC News segment on Dante, produced by the Columbus Citizen Association which aired on ABC-7 NY in October 2021. She also appears in the role of the Renaissance Signora in Dante and Beatrice in Florence: a Musical Film, which came out in November 2021. In 2016, she was a part of the documentary about the 1966 Great Flood of Florence, “When the World Answered,” produced by PBS.
Paola is an acclaimed specialized guide for the City of Florence and among the many individuals that she worked with human rights leaders, bestselling authors, celebrities, and powerful global influencers.
In addition to creating custom tours for individuals and families, Paola also designs cultural programs for specialized small groups, and acts as a liaison between museums and clients to provide special behind-the-scenes access and thus ensuring unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experiences for visitors to Italy.
Thanks to the unique world of personal connections, Paola also offers diverse consultation services for arts and culture in Italy.
Prior to pursuing her graduate degrees in art history, Paola owned and managed WIP Art Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona (2001-2005). She had the honor to serve as a special advisor to a Serbian Minister of Culture (2011-2012).
Links
https://youtube.com/@paolavojnovic?si=3mdQ_c-D_dr27qlB