Unknown Palace of Via Ghibellina

Via Ghibellina 70. Just a few doors down, I discovered this 17th-century old house on my walk to class, distinguishable with a brown and white sign that reads, “Casa Buonarrotti”.

Who knew I would end up living on the same street as the family of a Renaissance genius?

I was doing my routine walk to and from my apartment to class, shop, and sightsee, when I stumbled upon this one unique building on my street in Florence, Italy.

There is an Italian flag hanging out in the front of the building, and instead of being multi-colored and narrow like the other structures in the area, it is made of interconnected, washed-out beige buildings.

It stands out because it is so different from anything else on that street, and I found that odd.

And then I noticed the museum sign outside of it.

This is a street view of Casa Buonarroti, across from where I am living for my study abroad semester. It is a union of buildings, as you can see, very different from those on either side of it.

Going through various itineraries, you may come across Casa Buonarroti as a site to visit, once belonging to Michelangelo’s family. I had been to Florence once before, and did not know this palace existed.

I coincidentally found it several days later and realized what it was.

It is surreal finding out you have been on the street of the Buonarrotis and had not known it.

You grew up hearing big names like Michelangelo, Raphael, and Galileo, and now find yourself at the very center of where they lived and worked.

A site that visitors, such as myself, unknowingly encounter, this hidden spot is recognized as a small museum with many of the models, paintings, sculptures, and sketches of Michelangelo Buonarroti and his family.

Buying tickets costs 6,50-euro for adults, and there is a reduced admission for special circumstances. The Florence City Pass already includes this site, if you decide to purchase that to see multiple attractions.

This is the front door in which you enter to purchase tickets and can access the museum on the two floors of the building. The sculpted figure over the door seems to be Michelangelo himself.

Walking into the house, a kind, Florence-born woman, Cristina Chiari, sits ready to greet visitors at the front desk. She is part of the museum staff, and probably one of the sweetest people anyone could ever meet.

In asking her about the history of the palace, one of the first things she said was, “The story of this palace is that Michelangelo Buonarroti lived in this area but his house was smaller.”

In other words, she explained to me that Michelangelo lived in the Santa Croce area for a good portion of his life, but asked his brother, Buonarroto Buonarroti, to build this palace when he left his heredity to him. This project was mainly taken over by Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger, Michelangelo’s grandnephew.

One of the goals of the palace was to serve as a temple of preservation of valuable pieces from an array of cultures.

Housing different art pieces from different artists was significant in creating a palace of honor and respect.

In 1858, the city of Florence received the house as a donation from Michelangelo’s last descendant, and remains an authentic Renaissance model.

This palace consists of five buildings, a union of typical Florentine apartments.

This small outdoor area is directly across from the entrance to the museum. It shows the union of the five buildings that make up the house.

Michelangelo’s brother, nephew, and grandnephew had all lived there—all the Buonarrotis.

Chiari shared that her favorite room in the palace is the archeological room on the first floor, since it houses the collection from Michelangelo’s nephew.

This image depicts the archeological room that is to the right of the first floor entrance, with rare artifacts from Michelangelo's nephew.

She has such a lively personality and is passionate about working at the museum, describing, “I don’t know, it’s the feeling—the feeling it’s a different age and different feeling.”

Being a local in Florence, she truly carries the Italian pride in working as a member of the museum staff to preserve this little secret spot that maintains such rare and incredible artistic pieces that remain relevant to today.

This plate can be seen among the artwork and artifacts in the first floor of the museum, with the Buonarroti family crest decorating the center.

Chiari gave me a bit of a back-story, sharing that Michelangelo actually lived in Santa Croce for just over nine years with his father. He had four brothers and lost his mother when he was just six years old.

When Michelangelo grew older, he moved between San Lorenzo and Rome, where he passed away shortly after working on the Sistine Chapel.

His family stole his body from Rome and brought it to Santa Croce, Florence, which they knew was his true home.

He is now buried in the Basilica di Santa Croce.

From some of the first sculptures ever created by Michelangelo, to original models, sketches, and paintings by him and other infamous Florentine artists, Casa Buonarroti is truly a treasure worth visiting.

When walking through the house, the work you see completed by Michelangelo ties back to the Buonarroti family history and patrimony.

Among the incredible works featured in the house is the model of the Basilica di San Lorenzo. It is made of wood and was created for the façade of the structure, which stands as one of Florence’s most visited sites.

Two of the most famous pieces featured in the museum made by Michelangelo are the sculptures Madonna della Scala and the Battaglia dei Centauri. The former depicts admiration of Donatello and the latter is an expression of a love for classic art.

This is Michelangelo's large wooden model for the Basilica di San Lorenzo façade, located on the second floor of the museum.

This is the Madonna della Scala, one of the two most famous sculptures housed in this museum and made by Michelangelo. It is located on the second floor of the museum.

This is the second of Michelangelo's two most famous sculptures in the museum. The Battaglia dei Centauri, like the Madonna della Scala, was made when Michelangelo was about 15 or 16 years old.

The collection of Michelangelo’s original paper drawings in Casa Buonarroti is the largest in the world, and his pieces are rotated around all year.

Aside from Michelangelo’s work, there are sculptures, majolicas, archaeological artifacts, and paintings on display in the Galleria and three main rooms on the two floors of the palace from other artists, like Jacopo Vignali, Passignano, and Francesco Furini.

This is the Galleria, whose layout was created by Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger. This room's theme is Michelangelo's eulogy, and can be found on the second floor of the museum.

Some of the art were gifts to the Buonarroti family, and others are loans from museums in Florence.

Jonathan Dinman, a tourist from Miami who was visiting with his family, did not know that this house existed, especially on a seemingly ordinary Florentine street.

He said, “I was not looking specifically for coming here... We’ve seen some of his (Michelangelo’s) big works so seeing a little bit of the stuff he might have had… it’s a little weird because he apparently didn’t live here”.

He was shocked at the number of pieces the Renaissance genius created, some of which are unknown to many people because of the palace’s lesser-known location.

This is a model of the David, which Michelangelo also sculpted. It can be found in display on the second floor.

So, heading down the road less traveled may actually lead to new discoveries such as this, finding rare marvels in the narrow city streets of Florence.

Who knew there would be hidden treasures preserved in Via Ghibellina 70 without a bit of exploration?

This gem deserves all the attention it can get, and maybe on your way there, you will stumble upon another historic unknown.