In the heart of Florence lies Casa Martelli, a house museum that entices you to take a few contemplative moments in a palazzo where the tourist frenzy fades away and time seems to slow down. This monument, now part of the heritage of the Municipality of Florence and managed by the Bargello Museums, is not simply a collection of ornate rooms, but a living testimony of the life of an influential family in Baroque Florence.
Casa Martelli unfolds like a tapestry of the history of patronage and collecting. In the 15th century, the Martelli family was closely associated with the Medici for their banking businesses and common interests in the fields of science and the arts. Not only skilled traders, but also refined collectors, their power and prestige granted them access to exclusive Florentine society.
The building dates back to 1524, when Ilarione di Bartolomeo Martelli acquired the original edifice. As the Martelli family expanded, the residence was transformed, merging buildings before reaching its current configuration by the architect Bernardino Ciurini in 1738. Situated halfway between the Duomo and the Medici Chapels, the strategic location not only strengthened their connection with the Florentine elite, but also ensured the house was a centre of culture and refinement.
In 1986, following the death of the last descendant of the family, Francesca Martelli, the residence was passed to the Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Archdiocese of Florence. Shortly afterwards, in 1998, the Italian state acquired the property and included it in the Florentine museum circuit following a meticulous restoration that returned Casa Martelli to its original glory, opening to the public in 2009.
Each room of the palace reflects a chapter of its history. From the grand entrance, with an elegant atrium and a winter garden that gives a glimpse into another world, to the rooms where the Martelli family displayed their extraordinary art collection, walking through this captivating house-museum provides immersion in the daily life of a noble Florentine family.
Ph. Antonio Quattrone
Ph. Antonio Quattrone
One of the most fascinating aspects of Casa Martelli is its impressive collection of paintings. The picture gallery is where the Martelli family developed their exquisite taste for art, with works by artists such as Salvator Rosa, Luca Giordano, Piero di Cosimo and Domenico Beccafumi. Vaunting Venetian decorations and crystal chandeliers, the ballroom is another of the spaces that best evoke the grandeur of Casa Martelli as a setting for opulent family celebrations. Frescoes on the walls depict allegorical and mythological scenes, with the combination of colours and the sumptuousness of the details giving a clear example of Florentine Baroque splendour.
The Martelli Chapel is located in the heart of the palace, a space where devotion and art come together, decorated with frescoes of biblical inspiration, yet it is the winter garden and woodland room—once the early nineteenth century summer apartments on the ground floor—that truly transport visitors to another world. The murals by Gaetano Gucci and Niccolò Contestabili create an illusion of depth and perspective that draws you into an exuberant and flourishing landscape, enveloping onlookers in a living picture.
Free guided tours are held on Tuesday afternoons and Saturday mornings.
This article is adapted from a piece published by El Duomo Magazine Issue One: La Mirada Lenta, the new Spanish supplement to The Florentine.
ED 01 – La Mirada Lenta
BUY THIS ISSUE – El Duomo #01 2025
El Duomo Magazine is a twice-yearly magazine in Spanish featuring carefully crafted articles for Tuscany lovers.
La Mirada Lenta es una forma de visitar que invita a frenar el ritmo y a observar con atención. No se trata de ver más, sino de ver mejor: prestar atención a los detalles, a lo auténtico, a la vida cotidiana, a lo que normalmente pasa desapercibido. Una manera de descubrir los lugares con sensibilidad, presencia y conexión real.
Cover photograph by Nicco Leone / Location: Museo Casa Martelli / Dress: Angela Carpio
El Duomo Magazine is a twice-yearly magazine in Spanish featuring carefully crafted articles for Tuscany lovers.
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