Museo Stefano Bardini

The Museo Stefano Bardini is located in Florence's Oltrarno district and is now owned by the City of Florence. The complex grew out of the historic church of San Gregorio della Pace, which the Mozzi family endowed in the 13th century, along with the adjoining convent. In the late 19th century, the famous antiques dealer Stefano Bardini bought the site and had a magnificent palazzo built between 1881 and 1883. Bardini designed the building in the Renaissance style, reusing architectural fragments and decorations from various periods, including elements from the church of San Lorenzo in Pistoia and a coat of arms from the Cathedral of Fiesole. This unusual mix of historical materials drew sharp criticism at the time, as the result was considered incompatible with local tradition. After Bardini's death in 1922, the collection was given to the city and opened as a museum in 1925.

The exhibition includes more than 3,600 works, among them paintings, sculptures, furniture, ceramics, and weapons, with a focus on the Renaissance. Highlights include the Charity by Tino di Camaino, the Madonna dei Cordai by Donatello, as well as a work by Tintoretto and drawings by Tiepolo. On the ground floor, rooms are devoted to the city's history and display original statues such as the golden Marzocco from the Palazzo Vecchio, which have been replaced by copies at their original locations. A special feature of the interior is the distinctive blue wall color, which was restored during the extensive renovation from 1999 to 2009 based on historical records and layers of paint. This color, often called Bardini blue, recalls the domestic style of the great European houses of the late 19th century and today shapes the atmosphere of the various floors, where you can also admire bronzes, tapestries, and medieval crucifixes.