Hidden Gem: the Davanzati museum

Last weekend, I went to the Davanzati museum, which is a building I walk by often, and had hardly ever heard of. Sometimes, like in this case, those hidden places turn into some of the best and most memorable museums in town. For only 2 euro, this well preserved Palazzo  from the 14th century shows perfectly how a Florentine house would be when the Davanzati family lived there (from 1578-1838.) Included in the palazzo, among the bedrooms, bathrooms (in original form) and general rooms, are tools used during the time, like kitchen cauldrons, an old recipe book, and some looms, and textile working tools, as this was part of their daily work.
It was very interesting to see the different types of machines they would use in fabric production. A spinning tool, to use by hand to spin cotton was there, as well as looms, very large and probably very heavy shears, as well as threads were visible. I remember reading about how sacred it was, and still is for tailors to actually cut the fabric and I could only imagine how precious these shears were at the time. They also have a large selection of lace, and the ones on display were nothing short of breathtaking.

These are so impressive because of their beauty, and the craftsmanship. All of this lace, of course, is handmade. The lace ranges many different time periods and styles, from scarves to table decoration. There are also paintings of people with lace collars for example, to reinforce the importance and probably the richness of lace.
I recommend for everyone to visit this wonderful, enchanting museum which brings you back in time! I won't spoil any more so that you can experience for yourself! Located at Via Porta Rossa 13 the museum is open Monday to Sunday, 8.15-13.50, but with many exceptions so look it up first!




by
Gabriella Bonatesta


Picture from http://bagnidilucca.wordpress.com/2011/03/03/palazzo-davanzati-a-house-in-florence/