“My father was a man of love. His profession and his family were his sole passions, his discoveries and his pride. My mother was always by his side, unceasingly supporting, helping or encouraging him.

Still today I remember the unsparing energy he devoted to discover and present the rarest and most original pieces, those that arouse in us the urge to learn, the irresistible ‘itch’ for research, the absolute need to peruse books... It was bound to trigger off a thousand jealousies and strew their paths with constraints one would have thought to be insuperable, but instead of weakening their resolution this only made them stronger throughout their career.

It would be too long here to draw an exhaustive list of all their discoveries, but it is my pleasure to present to you some of those that have become true icons of the museum collections where they are to be found to this day.

The legacy had to be assumed, but the reward was all the greater—and it is an immense joy for me today, supported by my wife and surrounded by my team, to be able to perpetuate that family tradition”