Federico
Stibbert (1838-1906), the collector who lived
in the villa on the hill of Montughi, belonged
to the refined world of writers and men of letters,
English art amateurs and others who entered the
life of Florence during the 19th century. When
the original villa became too small for the collections
that Stibbert kept collection with great passion,
probably already thinking of a “museum”,
various additions were made by famous artists
like the architect Giuseppe Poggi, the painter
Gaetano Bianchi, the sculptor Passaglia, who contributed
to the present day appearance of one of the most
precious examples of 19th century museums. Even
the vast park surrounding the villa was reorganised
with a new final arrangement that renders it one
of the most beautiful gardens in Florence.
In 1906 the collection passed to the Municipal
Administration. Today, the museum comprises 10
rooms to exhibit the wide-ranging collections
of Stibbert, often from the most varying origins.
The furniture itself includes very valuable pieces
of furniture like many chests dating back to the
15th century, others of Lombard origin from the
18th century, in addition to an extraordinary
table in malachite originating from Demidoff.
One of the most typical aspects of the villa is
that most of the wall coverings are in leather.
The rooms crowded with very sumptuous objects
also display several paintings, again reflecting
the taste of a collector who did not seem to appreciate
the primitives and preferred to them Dutch painting
and still lives. The museum also includes a very
lavish group of portraits belonging to different
ages.
Another important group of works is represented
by the porcelains and majolicas, produced in the
most important Italian and foreign manufactories.
This museum however owes its reputation to its
collection of arms and suits of armours that comprises
an incredible number of varying and rare pieces
ranging from the 15th to the 17th centuries. The
vast majority of arms are European, although there
are also Oriental, Persian, Indian and Islamic
examples. A particularly suggestive view is offered
by the parade of horses and riders fully equipped
to represent the Italian, German and Islamic arms
and suits of armours belonging to the 16th and
17th centuries. The museum also displays a very
important group of Japanese arms, with dozens
of suits of arms and hundreds of swords, which
constitutes the largest collection of this kind
outside of Japan.
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