The Stibbert museum in Florence

Banquet in the 19th century Exhibition Stibbert museum Florence Italy

The Stibbert Museum in Florence has to be visited, with its unique and extraordinary collection of armors and weapons from the 15th to the 19th century. A temporary exhibition on banquets, from the Renaissance to the 20th century is currently on display. A stay in the Palazzo Larderel Via Tornabuoni in Florence is the ideal occasion to make this exceptional visit.

The Stibbert Museum in Florence has been created in the late 19th century by Frédérick Stibbert, an Anglo Italian collector of European and Japanese armors and weapons. You can also visit his apartment, as it was in the 19th century, with its furniture, its paintings, its tableware … And of course, his collection , so original , of armors and weapons: caparisoned horses, cuirasses, helmets, shields, swords… One can even admire the exceptional costume worn by Napoleon at his coronation as King of Italy in Milan in 1805: a green attire, with beautiful embroidered patterns palms, laurels and bees, ears of wheat, oak leaves … The pair of shoes worn by Napoleon during this ceremony is also presented.

Banquet in the 17th century Stibbert museum Florence Italy

Currently, the Stibbert Museum presents a temporary exhibition on “banquets”, from the Renaissance until the 20th century, « Conviti e Banchetti ».Since the Renaissance, to celebrate special occasions such as victories, weddings, or other exceptional events, the best architects and artists were called to prepare the decor of those sumptuous feasts. The Italian princely families called upon all their talents to create decorations that we can still admire in certain paintings of the Renaissance. The artists were always competing with new types of dishes and tableware, while the cooks were racing with the sculptors to prepare meals and dishes with wonderful appearance!

And, after this fascinating visit of the museum, you can go for a walk in the romantic English garden, with its temples, fountains, caves, and return to the Palazzo Larderel to relax on the terrace.