Museo di Casa Martelli is a former family residence turned museum on Via Ferdinando Zannetti, near Florence’s Duomo. A guided visit takes you through richly decorated rooms where frescoes, painted ceilings, period furnishings and portraits remain in their original setting. The Martelli family’s art collection includes works by Piero di Cosimo, Luca Giordano and Salvator Rosa. Tours are in Italian, with printed English explanations available. Admission is free, but visits are limited to a small number of half-days each week, so check arrangements before fitting it into your plans.
A family home preserved as a museum
Casa Martelli presents a historic Florentine residence in its lived-in setting. The Martelli family occupied the house for generations, and it remained a private home until 1986. Rather than being rebuilt as a conventional museum, the rooms preserve furnishings and decoration alongside parts of the family’s art collection.
The house gives a sense of how a noble Florentine family arranged and decorated its home. Its rooms contain painted ceilings, frescoes, portraits, antique furniture and other objects. The effect comes from seeing these elements together in domestic rooms, rather than viewing the collection in a separate gallery.
Frescoes, furnishings and paintings
The residence was renovated in 1738, and much of its decoration reflects the 17th and 18th centuries. Look for the frescoed rooms, including a garden room, as well as the decorated ceilings and period furnishings. The family’s collection includes paintings by Piero di Cosimo, Luca Giordano, Salvator Rosa, Beccafumi, Francia and Morandini.
The art is part of the visit, but the arrangement of the rooms is just as important. Paintings, furnishings and decorative details remain together in the spaces they were collected for. This makes Casa Martelli a useful stop if you want to see a historic Florentine interior as well as individual works of art.
How the visit works
Entry is through a guided tour, and visits take place on a limited schedule, described as two half-days a week. Tours are conducted in Italian. Printed explanations in English are available, so you can follow the visit without relying on spoken Italian.
Admission is free. The booking information is not consistent, so contact the museum by telephone before you go to confirm whether you need to reserve a slot. Arriving shortly before the scheduled start gives you time to join the tour. Allow about an hour for the visit, and check the current arrangements before building it into a tightly timed day in Florence.
FAQ
Is admission to Museo di Casa Martelli free?
Yes, admission is free.
Do you need to book Museo di Casa Martelli?
Booking information is inconsistent. Call ahead to confirm the current arrangements and reserve a time if required.
Are tours available in English?
Tours are in Italian, and printed English explanations are available.
How long does a visit take?
Allow about an hour for the guided visit.
