Galleria Giorgio Franchetti alla Ca' d'Oro

History

The Baron Giorgio Franchetti (1865–1927), was born to a prominent family of Turin. Initially trained in a military school, he preferred the study of music and collecting art. He married in 1890 the Baroness Maria Hornstein Hohenstoffeln. However, by 1891 he had moved to Florence, and there soon purchased the then dilapidated Ca' d' Oro and set upon restoring the building, as possible, to its 15th-century layout. Franchetti also traveled widely to purchase objects for the palace, including in Paris the palace's original well head (1427) by Bartolomeo Buon. He supervised much of the restoration, added the mosaic floor collections, and constructed a chapel to house his Mantegna St Sebastian. The inner courtyard mosaic was made by the Baron himself. His grandson, helped further his wish stated in 1916, to make the house and his collection a museum. The palace officially became a museum with the inauguration of 18th January 1927.

The Baron's collection form the nucleus of the displays, which are augmented by other works from local buildings. The Baron's tomb is on the premises. Among the works on display are: