Palazzo Davanzati

Palazzo Davanzati stands in the heart of Florence, a 14th-century palace built by the Davizzi family of wool merchants. Its sandstone façade unites three older tower houses into one grand structure, with three portals and three storeys of mullioned windows. The top floor shows a 16th-century loggia supported by columns and pilasters, while the courtyard preserves 14th-century arches and vaults. The Davanzati coat of arms appears on the front, along with faded traces of other decorations. Inside, the building once served as a private residence before becoming a museum of the old Florentine house. The palace is worth visiting for its layered history and carefully restored interiors. It passed from the Davizzi to the Bartolini and then the Davanzati families before falling into divided ownership after a suicide in the 19th century. Elia Volpi, an antiquarian, bought and restored it in the early 20th century, opening a private museum in 1910. The Italian state acquired the building in 1951 and reopened it fully after major restorations in the 1990s. Today it offers a rare look at medieval domestic life through its rooms and furnishings. Visitors find a sequence of furnished rooms arranged over three floors. The ground floor atrium displays objects about the building’s past, while the central courtyard links all the upper rooms. On the first floor the Great Hall shows 16th-century objects and three square holes used to observe the street below. The Sala dei Pappagalli has painted patchwork walls and a large fireplace, and maiolica from Montelupo is on display. A small bathroom with indoor plumbing sits nearby, along with a study containing a locking chest and paintings. The bedrooms on the first and second floors feature frescoes and Renaissance furniture, including a painted desco da parto by Scheggia. The top floor kitchen, reached by a narrow staircase, holds a fireplace, bellows, and tools from the period, reflecting the practical organisation of a wealthy household.