Museo di Casa Martelli
The 18th-century home of the Martelli family near the Duomo, with a picture gallery, frescoed halls and summer apartments decorated in trompe-l’oeil.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Casa Martelli has been the residence of the Martelli family since the 17th century; from the 15th century the family held power and prestige in Florence thanks to its ties with the Medici in banking affairs and its interest in science and the arts. From 1738 the architect Bernardino Ciurini directed a major renovation that gave the palace its present appearance.
The house was donated to the State in 1998, after being lived in until a few years earlier by the last descendants, and opened to the public as a museum in 2009. It preserves the atmosphere of the domestic spaces of a Florentine noble family between the 18th and 19th centuries. Works by Donatello also come from the palace, including the San Giovannino, and the Martelli coat of arms attributed to Desiderio da Settignano, now in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello.
On the first floor a sequence of representative halls frescoed by Vincenzo Meucci and Tommaso Gherardini houses a small picture gallery with the Adorazione del Bambino by Piero di Cosimo, two wedding panels by Beccafumi and large canvases by Luca Giordano and Salvator Rosa. On the ground floor the 19th-century summer apartments can be visited, with the sala boschereccia (woodland room) by Niccolò Contestabili and the winter garden painted in trompe-l’oeil by Gaetano Gucci.
Highlights
- Adorazione del Bambino (Adoration of the Child) by Piero di Cosimo
- Two wedding panels by Beccafumi
- Canvases by Luca Giordano and Salvator Rosa
- Sala boschereccia (woodland room) by Niccolò Contestabili
- Winter garden (“bersò”) painted in trompe-l’oeil by Gaetano Gucci
Permanent exhibition
- Gli appartamenti e la quadreria della famiglia Martelli – Representative halls on the first floor with a small picture gallery, and summer apartments on the ground floor with landscape and trompe-l’oeil decorations.
- Founded
- 2009
- Operated by
- Ministero della Cultura – Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze e Musei del Bargello
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum has devices for access by people with disabilities; the use of mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs is limited and assessed case by case to ensure the safety of the spaces and works.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Visits are always accompanied by museum staff, in small groups of up to 15 people. Large backpacks and bags may not be brought in. |
