Silvia Ciappi

Silvia Ciappi is a Lecturer at the University of Florence (Department of History, Archaeology, Geography, Art and Entertainment) and a Researcher at institutions like the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. She is also an Associated Scholar at the Max Planck Institute for Art History in Florence.

• Education: Classical high school diploma, followed by a degree in Medieval and Modern Art History from the University of Florence (thesis on Veneto art history, written with Padua and Venice Universities).
• Professional Timeline: 1980–1996 with Accademia delle Arti del Disegno; 1996–2016 as research director for Empoli Glass Museum; 2010–present with Osservatorio Mestieri d'Arte; 2012–present contract lecturer at the University of Florence; 2015–present researcher at Officina Profumo Farmaceutica and associated scholar at the Max Planck Institute.

Research: Specializes in glass art history, stained glass, and cultural heritage. Her work on the Siena Cathedral stained glass (13th–19th centuries) examines artistic evolution, devotional choices, and technical innovations, with subfields spanning medieval revivalism, Medici patronage, and 19th-century restoration debates.

Publications: Authored or co-authored approximately 95 publications, focusing on glass art, cathedral architecture, and historical techniques. Her research appears in the collana Die Kirchen von Siena and other Max Planck Institute publications.

Collaborations: Active in international academic networks, including AIHV-International Association for Glass History and the Photothek at the Max Planck Institute for Art History. She contributes to the Osservatorio Mestieri d'Arte magazine and engages in conferences and exhibitions.