The Casa Martelli Museum in Florence (or, simply, Casa or Palazzo Martelli) is a Florentine palace that was opened as a civic museum, displaying the remains of the original family's valuable art collection in situ and the original frescoed rooms, in 2006. It is an excellent insight into a noble Florentine home and filled with delightful little surprises around every corner.
Prior to being made into a museum, it always remained within the same family and is the only museum-house in Florence that has not been refurbished by later owners, making it all the more valuable and intriguing. For a glimpse into how the well-to-do of this great artistic city lived, just find a luxury villa in Florence and pay a visit to the Casa Martelli.
A family of bankers who came into wealth and power in tandem with the Medici, the Martelli family originally purchased a property on Via Zanetti in the 15th century and it expanded over the years, until it reached its current dimension in the mid-18th century, getting to the point where it took up almost the whole block.
Prior to being made into a museum, it always remained within the same family and is the only museum-house in Florence that has not been refurbished by later owners, making it all the more valuable and intriguing. For a glimpse into how the well-to-do of this great artistic city lived, just find a luxury villa in Florence and pay a visit to the Casa Martelli.
A family of bankers who came into wealth and power in tandem with the Medici, the Martelli family originally purchased a property on Via Zanetti in the 15th century and it expanded over the years, until it reached its current dimension in the mid-18th century, getting to the point where it took up almost the whole block.
However, it isn't just the scale of their property that impresses today but, rather the gems held within. A family of avid art collectors, the palace is home to works by artists like Piero di Cosimo, Francesco Francia, Francesco Morandini, Salvator Rosa, Giordano, Beccafumi, Sustermans, Michael Sweerts, Pieter Brueghel the Younger, Orazio Borgianni, Francesco Curradi, Luca Giordano, and Domenico Beccafumi. They are even displayed according to the 17th century tradition of covering entire walls, giving a real sense of what it was like to appreciate and collect art in the past.
The number of frescoed rooms that employ the trompe l’oeil effect is also a noteworthy feature of the building. Among these, two of the most interesting are the rather elaborate Sala del Bagno (bathroom) and the Sala Giardino d’Inverno (winter garden room) that was designed to compensate for the fact that the house did not have an actual outdoor garden due to its central location. There are also 18th century frescoes depicting mythological and historic episodes of the family from teams led by Tommaso Gherardini and frescoes by Luigi Sabatelli on the vault of the staircase.
The number of frescoed rooms that employ the trompe l’oeil effect is also a noteworthy feature of the building. Among these, two of the most interesting are the rather elaborate Sala del Bagno (bathroom) and the Sala Giardino d’Inverno (winter garden room) that was designed to compensate for the fact that the house did not have an actual outdoor garden due to its central location. There are also 18th century frescoes depicting mythological and historic episodes of the family from teams led by Tommaso Gherardini and frescoes by Luigi Sabatelli on the vault of the staircase.
This is where you once could have seen two works attributed to Donatello, a statue of David and the coat of arms of the family. The marble David statue is now displayed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington and is thought to be a copy of the marble David by Donatello in the Bargello in Florence.
Sadly, much of the collection was sold over the past two centuries but, luckily, the complex was eventually to the Italian state and this allowed the remaining collections to be opened as a museum in 2006. Fascinating and off the beaten tourist track in Florence, it is a serious hidden gem.
Sadly, much of the collection was sold over the past two centuries but, luckily, the complex was eventually to the Italian state and this allowed the remaining collections to be opened as a museum in 2006. Fascinating and off the beaten tourist track in Florence, it is a serious hidden gem.
Photo credits
Picture 1: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 2: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 3: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0
Picture 1: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 2: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0;
Picture 3: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0
