The museum is named after its creator, the famous antiquarian Stefano Bardini. The old building that houses it, transformed with the neo-romantic taste of the time (around 1880), became the show-room of the ‘Prince of Antiquaries’.
This fascinating museum, off the beaten track, holds a collection of over 3600 works, including paintings, sculptures, armour, musical instruments, ceramics, coins, medals and antique furniture. Among the most important works are Tino di Camaino's Charity, Benedetto da Maiano's Madonna and Child with St. John the Baptist, Antonio del Pollaiolo's St. Michael the Archangel, Donatello's Madonna of the Ropes, and Guercino's Atlas.
Two rooms on the ground floor have been dedicated to Florence and its history, with some emblematic works from various places in the city: Pietro Tacca's very popular Boar (the bronze statue at the Mercato del Porcellino/Piggy's market is a copy), Giambologna's Diavolino from the crossroads between Via dei Vecchietti and Via Strozzi, and the gilded Marzocco from the architrave of Palazzo Vecchio.
The display denotes the eclectic taste of the owner; a characteristic detail is the painting of many walls in the typical blue, ‘blu Bardini’, used to highlight individual pieces, and imitated in many European courts. Also not to be missed, a stone's throw from the museum and still linked to the same figure, is the Bardini Villa & Garden.
Museo Stefano Bardini
Via dei Renai, 37, 50125 Firenze FI, Italia
The sidewalk is accessible to people in wheelchairs from the pedestrian crossing. It is necessary to inform the staff at the main entrance (Via dei Renai n. 37) so that it can open the accessible entrance (which corresponds to the exit) in Piazza dei Mozzi n. 1.
Most parts of the museum are accessible with an elevator (except for the Della Robbia and the armoury). Disabled toilets on the ground floor.
MUS.E Association regularly organizes guided tours and workshops in the Museo Stefano Bardini and in the other City Museums of Florence for special audiences with visual or hearing impairments and people with intellectual disorders or senile decay. These activities are designed for the specific needs of any of them, to make the museum experience immersive, relevant and enjoyable for all. For information and booking: info@musefirenze.it; + 39 055-2768224.
