Archive for Category: In the museum

Not all castles have remained under the administration of the same family throughout the centuries.
Not all castles preserve the unchanged charm of past eras. Not all castles are inhabited by a ghost who, when displeased, makes its feelings known to the living. Not all of them – but the Rocca Meli Lupi di Soragna, in the province of Parma, certainly does. This ancient medieval castle transformed into a princely residence is home to Diofebo VI Meli Lupi, noble descendant of the historic family line, and still safeguards treasures and mysteries waiting to be discovered, including a spectral presence…

An ancient Roman gate, a medieval fortress, a princely castle and the seat of the first Senate of the Kingdom of Italy: Palazzo Madama in Turin, located in the very central Piazza Castello, has housed the collections of the Museo Civico since 1934. Across four floors, artefacts and works ranging from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period recount the history of art and craftsmanship in the region.
Let’s explore together the rooms of this enchanting museum – one of the most elegant buildings in the city – and take a closer look at some particularly curious and significant objects.

Majestic and elegant, Palazzo Maffei stands like a theatrical backdrop at the end of the enchanting Piazza delle Erbe, in the heart of Verona. Its 17th-century façade, animated by lively Baroque decorations, introduces interiors filled with the treasures of Luigi Carlon’s collection. An entrepreneur and passionate collector, Carlon has transformed the ancient Maffei residence into a true contemporary Wunderkammer, where the ancient and the modern meet, revealing unexpected and evocative connections.

Renamed Museo Galileo in 2010, the historic Institute of the History of Science of the University of Florence is dedicated to the material testimonies of Italian science and was the first of its kind in Italy. The collection – among the most important in the world – also includes instruments owned and devised by Galileo Galilei: the celebrated physicist and astronomer who, in the early seventeenth century, supported the Copernican heliocentric theory in opposition to the Church’s geocentric vision. Accused of heresy, Galilei was forced to recant, but his discoveries were later confirmed, and today, in the museum dedicated to him, we can admire some of the objects that contributed to modern science.

Just past the halfway point of the first corridor of the Gallerie degli Uffizi opens the famous Tribuna. A magnificent, refined space, commissioned by Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici and conceived as a true room of wonders. Today it can be admired from various viewpoints but, for conservation reasons, it is no longer accessible to the public. Over time, the layout of this room has been modified to protect the objects originally kept there: the unusual configuration, its precious wall-coverings and furnishings, and the masterpieces on display still leave visitors speechless.

Casa Manzoni combines the charm of a historic residence with the documentary function of a museum. The Milanese home of the great writer from 1814 until his death, it preserves some rooms in their original layout and devotes others to telling the story of the man, the writer, and his work. A rich and recently updated exhibition route—following a project by Michele De Lucchi’s architecture studio—guides visitors through the life and legacy of one of the most significant figures of 19th-century Italy.

The Galleria Palatina is one of the museums housed in Palazzo Pitti, the former grand ducal residence in the heart of Florence. Located on the piano nobile of the building, alongside the Royal and Imperial Apartments, it preserves today a collection of paintings that is unique in the world—an outstanding example in the Italian panorama for its layout, which has remained virtually unchanged since the 18th century.

Masterpieces by Raffaello, Tiziano, Bronzino, Rubens, and Caravaggio (to name but a few) line the walls of its magnificent rooms, adorned with stuccoes, gilding, and frescoes: a testament to the refined taste of Medici collecting and the subsequent Lorraine administration.

If we wear wedges today, if our heels are comfortable, precious or simply colourful, we owe it to Salvatore Ferragamo. Born into humble beginnings, he conquered American celebrities and the global public with the bold originality of his footwear—an expression of rare and brilliant creativity. The Museo Salvatore Ferragamo is dedicated to the man and his creations, one of the most important and iconic figures in Made in Italy fashion.

A dynasty that has spanned eight centuries, a palazzo radiating all the grandeur of the Baroque, and an extraordinarily rich art collection: these are the elements of a true yet incredible story, one that spans the centuries and reaches us today. The address is Piazza SS. Apostoli 66 in Rome, home to Palazzo Colonna since the 14th century, named after the family who still reside there. This sumptuous residence houses one of the city’s most important art galleries.

Unprecedented, accessible and spectacular, the Corridoio Vasariano reopened to the public in late 2024 after an eight-year restoration that now allows visitors to walk the entire length of this historic passageway: 750 covered metres linking the former Medici residence of Palazzo Pitti with the seat of government, Palazzo Vecchio.
The brainchild of Giorgio Vasari, the “passetto fiorentino”—as it was known at the time of its construction—offers visitors a truly unique experience. Here’s what to expect.