Both museum and monument, a place to remember and celebrate Michelangelo’s genius, as well as a magnificent baroque building and an exhibition of the family’s rich collections of art, the Buonarroti House is one of the most singular stops among the Florentine museums. In the first place, it offers the excitement of admiring two celebrated marble reliefs, masterpieces from Michelangelo’s early youth, the Madonna of the Stairs (photo 1), which intensely testifies to his passionate study of Donatello, and the Battle of the Centaurs, eloquent evidence of his everlasting love for classical art.

But, for whoever passes through the main door of the seventeenth century palace at 70 Via Ghibellina in Florence, it is no very important to relate the works of Michelangelo with the age-old vicissitudes of the Buonarroti family, (photo 2) who were extravagant in enlarging their residence, in order to beautify it, to preserve a precious cultural heritage (among which the important Archives and Library), to gather together rare collections of art: paintings, sculptures, majolica, archeological finds which are today distributed on the two floors of the museum.

One specially fitted-out room has revolving exhibitions of small groups from the collection of drawings signed by Michelangelo, belonging to the House, composed of two hundred and five precious sheets. However, the significance of the Buonarroti House goes beyond the celebration of an exceptional figure such as that of Michelangelo, even if it possesses and exhibits works and documentation on him made even richer both by the gifts that have been added to the family’s patrimony and by the pieces loaned by other Florentine museums, among which are two famous works of Michelangelo: the wooden model for the façade of San Lorenzo and the thrilling River God, preparatory to a statue for the Sagrestia Nuova, never carried out; and the two 16th century Noli Me Tangere, based on a cartoon by the artist which got lost (photo 3).

The idea of creating a magnificent building to the glory of the family and especially of his great ancestors goes back to Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger, a notable man of letters and distinguished scholar who, beginning in 1612 and continuing for about thirty years, had the major artists then living in Florence, (ranging from Empoli, Artemisia Gentileschi, Giovanni da San Giovanni to Passignano, Pietro da Cortona, Francesco Furini and the young Jacopo Vignali), work inside the building and especially in the “Galleria” and in the three following rooms. In these sumptuous rooms, Michelangelo the Younger arranged the most precious pieces of his collection, many of which are still part of the museum’s tour: among these, the wooden predella with the Episodes in the life of St. Nicholas, a masterpiece by Giovanni di Francesco, a follower of Domenico Veneziano. Not to be forgotten is the annual rhythm with which exhibitions are carried out in the interior of the Museum on themes regarding the cultural and artistic heritage, as well as the memories of the Buonarroti House, and Michelangelo and his times: exhibitions that for many years now have achieved international fame for the value and originality of the themes dealt with.

essential bibliography

Una facciata ottocentesca per la Casa Buonarroti
AA.VV., Firenze, Editore: Mandragora, 2002

Casa Buonarroti. La collezione archeologica
Corsi S. (a cura di), Milano, Editore: Electa, 1997

Michelangelo nell’Ottocento. Rodin e Michelangelo
Lamberti M., Riopelle C. ( a cura di), Milano, Editore: Charta, 1996, note: in catalogo della mostra Casa Buonarroti

Arte e storia in biblioteca
Corsi S., Lombardi E. ( a cura di), Milano, Editore: Charta, 1995, note: in catalogo della mostra Casa Buonarroti

Michelangelo nell’Ottocento. Il centenario del 1875
Corsi S. (a cura di), Milano, Editore: Charta, 1994, note: in catalogo della mostra Casa Buonarroti

Casa Buonarroti. I disegni di Michelangelo
Direzione della Casa Buonarroti (a cura della), MIlano-Firenze, Editore: Charta, 1993

Casa Buonarroti
Ragionieri G. (a cura di), Firenze, Editore: Editrice SPES, 1987

Michelangelo. Studi di antichità dal Codice Coner
Agosti G., Farinella V. (a cura di), Torino, Editore: Utet, 1987

Michelangelo e l’arte classica
Agosti G., Farinella V. (a cura di), Firenze, Editore: Cantini, 19987, note: in catalogo della mostra Casa Buonarroti

Filippo Buonarroti e la cultura antiquaria sotto gli ultimi Medici
Gallo D. (a cura di), Firenze, Editore: Cantini, 1986, note: in catalogo della mostra Casa Buonarroti

Michelangelo e i maestri del Quattrocento
Sisi C. (a cura di), Firenze, Editore: Cantini, 1985, note: in catalogo della mostra Casa Buonarroti

Disegni di fortificazioni da Leonardo a Michelangelo
Marani P. (a cura di), Firenze, Editore: Cantini, 1984, note: in catalogo della mostra Casa Buonarroti

Casa Buonarroti
Squellati Brizio P., Firenze, Editore: Sansoni, 1982, note: in catalogo della mostra La Città degli Uffizi

La Galleria Buonarroti, Michelangelo e Michelangelo Buonarroti il Giovane
Vliegenthart A.W., Bologna, Editore: Labanti e Nanni, 1977

Casa Buonarroti
de Tolnay C., Firenze, Editore: Arnaud, 1970

La Casa Buonarroti a Firenze
Procacci U., Firenze, Editore: Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, 1965

Itinerario della Casa Buonarroti e delle sue collezioni
Berti L., Firenze, Editore: non disponibile, 1951

Guida della Galleria Buonarroti
Fabbrichesi A., Firenze, Editore: non disponibile, 1865