The Musuem of Palazzo Davanzati in Florence

Museums

The Museum of the Old Florentine House

Palazzo Davanzati is a historic 14th-century Florentine mansion that now houses the Museum of the Old Florentine House, which testifies to the transition from the tower-house of the Middle Ages to the Renaissance residence.

The Palace, built around the 1450s by the Davizzi family, passed in 1578 to the Davanzati family, who kept it until 1838. In 1904, it was purchased and restored by antiquarian Elia Volpi, who furnished it entirely and in 1910 opened it to the public as a private museum, which later became state property.

The façade features a three-arched loggia on the ground floor that is now closed, but was originally open and used as a workshop, and a 16th-century roof terrace that replaces the original battlements.
The building consists of an underground, atmospheric courtyard on the ground floor, from which there is access to the stone and wooden staircase with rampant arches leading to the four upper floors.
Inside one can admire the "huge" hall, intended for large gatherings, the sumptuous dining rooms, the bedrooms and the "agiamenti", or lavatories that testify to the comforts, rare at the time, of a stately home.

The Room of Castellana di Vergi - Credit: Sailko

All the rooms have terracotta floors and wooden ceilings, some of them are painted, while the walls of some rooms are decorated with frescos, such as the splendid Parrott Hall and the room with the scenes from the Castellana di Vergi legend.

Also splendid are the furnishings, from the 14th to the 19th century, such as the linen chests and cribs or the rare 16th-century painted closet in the main hall, not to forget the collection of archaic pottery, 18th-century slipper-shaped hand warmers and antique lace.

On the third floor of the Palace, the kitchen displays everyday household objects, such as the loom, warp, spinning reel, which document the life that took place in an ancient house.

Information on accessibility: bargellomusei.it