FLORENCE–Marilyn mania continues.

On Tuesday, June 19, Ferragamo opened a new exhibit at their Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, titled simply, “Marilyn.” A retrospective dedicated to the captivating star 50 years after her death, the exhibit features everything from photographs, primary documents (like a hand written order for Monroe’s shoes from Ferragamo), film clips, and costumes from her most iconic films (the shockingly sheer dress from Some Like It Hot, the pink number from Gentlemen Prefer Blonds, and that white dress that so famously blew up over a NYC subway grate from The Seven Year Itch among them). Oh, and shoes, obviously–lots of them. This is Ferragamo, after all, who got his start making shoes for Hollywood’s biggest stars. Monroe owned dozens of Ferragmo shoes and 30 pairs are on display at the Museo.

The exhibit is quite comprensive in terms of the materials on display. How cool to see that scandalous dress from Some Like It Hot up close (it’s really really sheer–I stared at it for a while). But what I found more interesting was the commentary on the photos of Monroe, courtesy of curators Stefania Ricci and Sergio Risaliti. The exhibit makes a point to illustrate the classic art and sculpture Monroe referenced in her photos–that famous 1962 George Barris photo of Monroe in a chunky sweater on the beach recalls a Botticelli Venus-like image, Ricci and Risaliti point out.

Here a famous nude of Monroe is compared to a classical sculpture:

If you can’t make it to Florence this summer, click through for a first hand look at the exhibit.

Photos: Courtesy Ferragamo (and me).