Iona University Professor Pens New Book About Rediscovered Baroque Masterpiece
Professor Tom Ruggio with his new book, “Finding Dandini: The Rediscovery of a Painting and a 17th-Century Artist.”
New Rochelle, N.Y. – A compelling new book, “Finding Dandini: The Rediscovery of a Painting and a 17th-Century Artist,” written by Iona University art history professor Thomas Ruggio, recounts his remarkable discovery of a missing Baroque painting and casts new light on a Florentine painter living through an incredible period of history.
Published by Bordighera Press, the story unfolds in two parts. In Part I, Ruggio delves into the surprising moment and scholarly research that led to the rediscovery of the painting.
Lost to art historians for more than 60 years, Ruggio determined the painting – which had been hanging just two blocks from the Iona campus in the Church of the Holy Family – was in fact Dandini’s "Holy Family with the Infant Saint John.”
Ruggio’s work on the project subsequently brought him to Spain and Italy. His travels resulted in findings such as never-before-identified self-portraits of Dandini, which are included in the book. By working with conservators who specialize in Italian Baroque painting and looking back at historical accounts, Ruggio was further able to find evidence that Dandini’s health may have influenced his unique painting process.
In Part II, Ruggio explores how Dandini’s evolution as a great painter took place amidst the backdrop of the Florentine plague and the Roman Inquisition, as well as by overcoming his own personal challenges. This captivating story is presented for the first time in the form of a historical narrative, helping to bring the artist to life for the reader.
“I had two principal objectives in writing this book,” Ruggio explained. “The first was to present important new scholarly research on a great 17-century painter, and the second was to introduce a wider range of readers to Cesare Dandini by sharing the amazing story of his development into one of the finest painters of his time.”
The publication date for “Finding Dandini” is May 14. It can be pre-ordered on major book sellers’ websites.
Ruggio recently discussed his new book on CBS New York. You can watch the full interview here.
Professor Tom Ruggio with Cesare Dandini’s "Holy Family with the Infant Saint John,” which was exhibited at Iona’s Ryan Library in October 2021.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2025 national list of “The Best 390 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.