Professor of art history, University of Pisa in 1940-1973 and Director of the Pinacoteca, Siena, 1952-1973. Carli was born to Plinio Carli, a university professor, and Else Onetti (Carli). He studied at the University of Pisa, first under Mario Salmi and then Matteo Marangoni, receiving a B.Litt., in 1927. He married Tina Zanni in 1938. Carli was appointed professor of art history ("professore universitario di storia dell'arte medievale e moderna") at the University of Pisa in 1940, where he remained for most of his career. His Pisa years focused on the important indigenous sculptors, Giovanni and Nicola Pisano and others, resulting in the 1946 exhibition "Mostra della scultura pisana." In 1952 he became the Director of the Pinacoteca in Siena and the superintendent of fine arts in Siena, later doing the same for Grosseto, Italy. He was awarded the Mangia d'Oro from the City of Siena in 1959. In 1965 he received the Cittadino Benemerito Pisano award. He retired from Pisa in 1970 to become professor of art history at the University of Siena, adding the rectorship of the Opera del Duomo, also in Siena, the following year. Carli retired from the University in Siena and his superintendent roles in 1973. In 1977 he was elected president of the Accademia degli Intronati. The Premio del Presidente della Republica was awarded to him in 1980. He died at age 88.Carli helped establish the importance of the Renaissance Pisan sculptors within the context of the history of art in western Europe. He was not drawn to any particular methodology
- Carli Enzo, Biblioteca Umanistica dell’Università di Siena. http://siusa.archivi.beniculturali.it/cgi-bin/pagina.pl?TipoPag=comparc&Chiave=325064&RicProgetto=personalita.