A sculpture outside Salone dei Cirquecento, where the award ceremony will take place on June 13. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn

The Muses

Fiumicelli and Giorgio La Pira, then the mayor of Florence, established the International Muse Awards in 1965 to recognize excellence in professionals working in cultural industries. Initially, the nine award categories were named after one of nine sister goddesses in Greek mythology presiding over the arts, including Erato (art), Colliope (poetry), Clio (history and philosophy), Talia (literature), Polimnia (conducting and music composition), Euterpe (singing), Melpomene (theater), Tersicore (dance) and Urnnia (science). Three more categories were added later on, with X Musa (film), XI Musa (television) and Apollo Musagete (economy).

Each year, eleven jury members select and award one most representative person in the fields mentioned above. Recipients are also appointed as members of the academy in the International Muse Academy. Award ceremonies are held each year in June at Salone dei Cinquecento, a hall that's designed by artists Baccio Bandinelli and Giorgio Vasari, both students of art master Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. As a way of respecting the honored tradition, the recipients are asked to collect the award in person.

Complete list of winners

Francesco Valerio (Apollo Musagete, economy)

Nazario Pardini (Calliope, poetry)

Rolando Bellini (Clio, history and philosophy)

Wang Hongjian（Erato, Art）

Monica Bacelli (Euterpe, singing)

Giuliana Lojodice (Melpomene, theater)

Roberto Fabbricciani (Polimnia, conducting and music composition)

Claudio Marazzini (Talia, literature)

VirgilioSieni (Tersicore ndance)

CesiraBatini (Urania, science)

LinoBanfi (X Musa, film)

Claudio Lippi (XI Musa, television)

Wei Yuncheng, director of the Second Institute of Public Art Research, Beijing University of Technology, contributed to this story.

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