Museo dell'Opificio delle Pietre Dure

The museum of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure is a direct descendent of the pietre dure workshop founded in 1588 by Ferdinando I de’ Medici.

The holdings of the museum do not reflect a single collecting vision but instead represent the production activities over the centuries: the “life and times” of the workshop.

The most prestigious creations, often given as gifts by the Florentine grand dukes, can be found in palaces and museums throughout Europe.

The works that remained to be incorporated into the museum in 1882 were those that survived the nineteenth-century dispersal of much of the collection. These included unfinished pieces that were in the workshop at the time or were in the process of being modified and remounted.

The collection contains very evocative and refined works and illustrates the evolution of the work-shop, extending over three centuries.

The museum also has an important reserve of ancient marble and semi-precious stones, most of which were accumulated during the grand duchy when they were used in the manufacture of pietre dure objects. In 1995, the museum was renovated following the design of Adolfo Natalini. The collection was re-organised thematically, in ten rooms: the areas around the entrance hall document the production during the eras of the Medici and Lorraine grand dukes; the small nineteenth-century rooms document post-Unification (1860) activity; the mezzanine floor is dedicated to techniques of craftsmanship. An extensive display in this area contains samples of the stones, the workbenches, the tools, and demonstration examples that show the phases in the making of a masterpiece in Florentine stone inlay. The process can be followed step-by-step, from the design to the final creation, revealing the inner mechanisms of a fascinating episode in Florentine artistic history.