Davanzati Palace in Florence

The Davanzati Palace (center of the Davanzati Museum) was constructed at the beginning of XIV the century. At the beginning of XX the century it was acquired by the antiquarian Elia Volpi that restored it. She furnished it in order to make a reconstruction of ancient florentine house. The Palace in fact is known like museum of the ancient florentine house.

The furnishings of the rooms (frescoed and with the ceilings in wood) is the same of one florentina house between Middle Ages and rinascimento. Furnitures are conserved carve and inlay, forzieri, paintings, cassapanche, tapestries, sculptures, ceramics, objects of domestic use and for the kitchen.The present arrangement of the Museum aims at reconstructing the setting of an old Florentine home, with furniture and household tools from the 14th to the 19th centuries. Bedrooms display for instance chests full of linen and cots, while the audience hall on the first floor exhibits a rare painted cabinet, created by a Siennese artist of the 16th century, and the wooden painting showing The Game of Civettino by Giovanni di Ser Giovanni nicknamed "Scheggia" dating back to the 15th century and the marble bust of a Child by Antonio Rossellino, also dating back to the 15th century.
The museum also preserves a very fine collection of old ceramics and the 17th century hand warmers in the shape of shoes.

A very important document in the story of the family and palace is the Genealogical tree of the Davanzati Family, a work by an anonymous Tuscan painter of the 17th century. The State has recently purchased a rare wooden chest or throne-bed" with inlaid front and headboard, manufactured in the Tuscan-Umbran area during the last quarter of the 15th century.The Museum also displays a very fine collection of lacework ranging from the 16th to the 20th centuries and samplers.
This is not a famous museum of Florence, but for example it's perfect to go with kids, to show them how was a house in the past and how people used to live.
Bring your family in Florence or enjoy by yourself the visit at the Davanzati Palace staying at Hotel Mario's, just some metres far from the train station Santa Maria Novella and the Duomo square ( piazza San Giovanni ).
You can find us checking the website www.hotelmarios.com
info@hotelmarios.com