Since 1973, the Porcelain Museum has been housed in the 18th century Palazzina del Cavaliere at the top of the Boboli Gardens, at the center of the Rose Garden which overlooks the Forte del Belvedere with a beautiful panoramic view on the hills of Florence.
The museum mainly assembles collections of porcelain table services from the ruling houses which have followed one another at Pitti Palace, from the Medicis to the Lorraines, including the Parma Bourbon dynasty - with Mary Louise, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and Napoleon’s sister, Elisa Baciocchi, who was donated the famous Sèvres table service by her august brother in 1810.

The first room displays porcelains from the Real Fabbrica of Naples including a series of biscuit busts, depicting personages from classical antiquity, reproductions from the excavations in Herculaneum, eighteen figurines reproducing ‘garments’ from the Kingdom of Naples, two “dejeuner” services, one decorated with Egyptian motifs, the other with Etruscan motifs. The Doccia Manifacture founded by the Ginori family in 1737 constantly supplied the Grand Dukes of Lorraine with table services for daily use, of which typical examples of the flowered porcelain with bouquet or tulip motifs are displayed. These motifs were taken from the so-called “famille rose” Chinese porcelain. Also some pieces from the 1800’s, such as the lovely coffee cups with view of Florentine piazzas, made in Doccia using lithographies by the Frenchman Benoit as models, are displayed here.

French porcelain is represented by examples from the factory in Vincennes founded in 1740 and transferred to Sèvres in 1756 under the direct ownership of King Louis XV. It is characterized by various pastel-colored shades. Some flower vases with scenes taken from Boucher are some typical examples , as well as four oysters stands made up of 18 shell-shaped bowls, singular and unique of their kind, coming from Parma and belonging to Louise Elisabeth of Bourbon, daughter of Louis XV, king of France. In the two central display cases, the table service of Elisa Baciocchi for the light first course and dessert stands out. It was made in Sèvres between 1809 and 1810, and given to her by Napoleon after her investiture of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.

The second room displays a rich assembly of porcelains from Vienna, brought to Pitti by the two Lorraine grand dukes Peter Leopold, who maintained a constant rapport with the Viennese capital and Ferdinand III of Lorraine, an impassioned collector of porcelains and, particularly, of ‘solitaire’ services. Two services stand out: one with cups and trays decorated with views of Vienna and a coffee service with a trompe l’oeil feigned wood decoration.

In the third room porcelains from Meissen and from other German manufactures are displayed. In the display case towards the window, the following pieces stand out: two turtle-shaped butter dishes, a teapot in the shape of a rooster and a broth cup with scene inspired by a play by Molière probably belonging to the collection of Gian Gastone dei Medici, who married Maria Amalia, the daughter of August II the Strong, the Great Elector of Saxony and founder of the first porcelain factory in Europe. There are also early pieces from the Meissen factory, which are decorated with Chinese motifs such as the splendid vase with gilded grape leaves and vines in relief. The series of small porcelain statues representing people in costume are really worth seeing: ladies, musicians, putti, gardeners and others, such as Harlequin, taken from the Commedia dell’Arte which was a source of inspiration for the Capodimonte manufacture in Naples.

essential bibliography

Le porcellane di Vienna a Palazzo Pitti
Tabakoff S.K., Firenze, Editore: CentroDi, 2002

Le porcellane tedesche di Palazzo Pitti
Clarke T.,  d’Agliano A., Ferrara, Editore: Belriguardo, 1999

L'immagine riflessa. Dalla stampa alla Porcellana
Mosco M., Revai E., Livorno, Editore: Sillabe, 1997, note: catalogo della mostra Firenze, Museo degli Argenti ,18 aprile – 18 luglio 1997

Il museo delle Porcellane in "Palazzo Pitti. Il Palazzo e le sue opere"
Mosco M., Londra, Editore: non disponibile, articolo di giornale n. 1997

Il Museo delle Porcellane in "Palazzo Pitti. Guida alle collezioni e catalogo completo della Galleria Palatina"
Piacenti K.A., Firenze, Editore: Becocci, articolo di giornale n. 1988

Le porcellane italiane a Palazzo Pitti
d’Agliano A., Firenze, Editore: CentroDi, 1986

Porcellane dell'Ottocento a Palazzo Pitti
d’Agliano A., Clarke T. - Tabakoff S.K., Firenze, Editore: non disponibile, 1983

Curiosità di una Reggia. Vicende della guardaroba di Palazzo Pitti
Piacenti K.A., Pinto S. (a cura di), Firenze, Editore: CentroDi, 1979, note: catalogo della mostra (Firenze, Palazzo Pitti, gennaio-settembre 1979)

Le porcellane Francesi a Palazzo Pitti
Eriksen S., Firenze, Editore: CentroDi, 1973