The Opera del Duomo Museum has announced plans to expand into an adjacent palazzo. The Cathedral Works Museum, which houses a singular collection of medieval and Renaissance Florentine sculptures, was inaugurated in its current form in October 2015 and continues to expand its visitor base, which now hovers around 600,000 every year. This success prompted the governing body Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore to acquire a historic building, Palazzo Compagni, adjacent to the museum, in February 2023, in order to include the artworks currently stored in the deposits.
“This initiative has two main goals, one of which is cultural and the other is related to social responsibility concerning the city’s architectural heritage,” explains Luca Bagnoli, president of the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore. “We have acquired a historic palace that, like many others, was intended for rentals or sale on the real estate market, and we are now giving it back to Florence.”
The new plans drawn up by Guicciardini & Magni Architetti (who designed the current museum layout alongside Adolfo Natalini) will create a more linear and cohesive visitor experience. In addition to the existing 6,000 square meters, around 5,000 more will be added with Palazzo Compagni. The new layout will include essential features for a modern museum, such as temporary exhibition spaces, a conference room, a café with an adjacent garden and visitor services. The entrance to the museum will still be from piazza Duomo.
Renovation work is planned for Palazzo Compagni, including restoration and the updating of systems to make the building suitable for museum use. One significant change will occur in the 1920s building in the garden, which will be replaced by a café. The museum project includes the demolition of this edifice, which is in a poor condition, and the construction of a new building with the same footprint, maintaining the same height but altering the roof to create both a covered area and a terrace. The design concept aims to link the terrace of Palazzo Compagni with this new one, creating a continuous outdoor pathway with spectacular views of Brunelleschi’s Dome.
