Impressively reconstructed late-medieval mansion
The Palazzo Davanzati—also known as the Museo della Casa Fiorentina Antica—was opened to the public as a state museum in 1956. The impressive palazzo, which was the 14th-century residence of the Davizzi family of wealthy merchants and bankers, overlooks the namesake piazza once populated by ancient tower houses. The museum’s various rooms are decorated with period furnishings, wall paintings and artworks, which provide a fascinating window into Florentine life centuries ago. Each floor of the Palazzo Davanzati had a specific purpose, with the ground floor used for business and transactions, the first and second floors serving as living quarters, and the top floor housing the kitchen and servants’ quarters. Now the museum’s first floor displays decorative arts from the 14th and 15th centuries—its Parrot Room particularly noted for its original 14th-century wood-beam ceiling—while the second floor hosts the 16th to 18th centuries.
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