Museological capriccio

There are not many palazzi in Florence still occupied by their original families.

There are not many palazzi in Florence still occupied by their original families. Some, like the Medici, Pitti and Corsi-Horne, have become museums, while others, like the Ciofi-Giacometti — now the five-star Relais Santa Croce — have become hotels.

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Gareth Roberts

Let’s hope Donald Trump doesn’t mess it up

‘Make do and mend’ is a basic Florentine motto: why build a museum when you can convert an old palazzo, town hall (Palazzo Vecchio), magistrates offices (Uffizi), police station (Bargello) or granary (Orsanmichele)? Another guiding principle of the Florentine museum is do the absolute minimum to a building even if it means, as at Orsanmichele, that sole access is over a bridge from the palazzo opposite and thus only negotiable by appointment. A third rule of thumb is keep the tourists guessing by closing every museum on a different day.