Museumhuis Bartolotti

The Museumhuis Bartolotti at Herengracht 170–172 in Amsterdam is a historic canal house built around 1617 for the wealthy citizen Willem van den Heuvel tot Beichlingen. The name comes from his childless uncle, Giovanni Battista Bartolotti of Bologna, whose fortune he inherited on the condition that he henceforth call himself Bartolotti. As one of the few surviving examples of an early 17th-century Amsterdam house with an adjoining annex, the building is of special architectural significance. The design is attributed to Hendrick de Keyser or his son Pieter de Keyser and features a stepped gable marking the transition from Renaissance style to Baroque.

The richly ornamented facade stands out for its pilasters, masks, vases, and a broken segmental pediment. Two Latin inscriptions in cartouches praise the builder for his ingenuity, diligence, religion, and integrity. The house follows the curve of the so-called small bend of the Herengracht, which is reflected in its angled outer axis. An extensive restoration in the 1960s and 1970s brought back the gable and the detailed corner chimneys, while a second renovation in the 1990s returned the interior to its original condition.

Today you can tour the remarkable interior, which points to an illustrious history. Among others, the house was home to the painter Cornelis Munter and the wealthy merchant Dirck Trip. From 1974 to 2012, the renowned harpsichordist and musicologist Gustav Leonhardt lived in the rear building; he also described the house in a book of his own. The combination of historic architecture, an artful facade, and cultural tradition makes the Bartolotti House a fascinating destination for anyone who loves Amsterdam's history.