Fascinating. An incredible collection of armor and weaponry. Mr. Stibbert was clearly a very…read morewealthy Englishman who collected a vast array of interesting objects from all over the world. The mansion is as amazing as the collection. Check out Napoleon's cloak from his coronation. Take a moment and walk through the associated garden. Next door is the Baden Powell garden for those of us who are into Scouting. The house is something to behold. Because he lived with his mother, he decided to cover the frescos as they featured nudes. Can't have that. Ah, the English. So the walls in most of the main rooms are covered in dyed, tooled leather tiles. His wealth came from his grandfather and father, who were extensively involved in trade with India. I presume they were associated with the East India Trading Co. You cannot even begin to appreciate the wealth they accumulated. But be forewarned, before you go make sure you know how you are getting back. It is a long walk from the museum back to the center of Florence. Taxis will not come get you unless you made arrangements in advance.

One of those places that always comes off as uninspiring to friends and visitors, but once I've got…read morethem there they love this jewel of a museum. The entire tour gets wrapped up in about an hour and includes one of the largest and most versatile collections of military memorabilia I have ever seen. Stibbert was a bit of a recluse and spent all his time and money collecting pieces from all over the world, and setting them up in his palace complex on the hills of Florence. It's a bit out of the way, so be sure to triple check your directions if you are from out of town or taking transit. You will not be disappointed, unless the idea of realistic recreations of historical events doesn't interest you. Great for kids and those easily bored. Guided tours are obligatory but are not heavily informative. Reservations are a must.

I feel like a child in this museum: a child nagged by governesses (gallery attendants), a child…read moreoppressed by the gravity of a space that doesn't merit it.

My father and I decided to try to visit Museo Novecento for a nice afternoon while he was visiting…read moreme from the USA because I am studying in Florence for a year. I would love to say that the museum and its staff were lovely but that was not the case. My dad who is a physician has his vaccination record on two different cards because he forgot his card his second time. This has not been a problem for him using these two cards while ENTERING THE EUROPEAN UNION and entering several other museums and restaurants in Florence and Rome in the past week. Most importantly this proof of vaccination has been more than enough for him to keep his job as a life-saving frontline Covid DOCTOR at a hospital that requires vaccinated employees. The museum attendant said that he could not accept the card because he didn't like the way it was written. We both promptly left after this telling the attendant how can he enter Italy and not enter a small, modern art museum?! Since this museum doesn't accept fully vaccinated, masked patrons, they don't need to worry about accepting my money or my friends' money in the future. I have a popular travel blog and would have told others to visit the museum but now definitely not. 5 minutes later, we entered Santa Maria Novella with his CDC card with absolutely no problem. It is just stressful to not know which museums you can visit as a fully vaccinated visitor and which ones you can not even being fully vaccinated and complying with all the rules.

Our badia in Florence was close to, and on the same road, as this wonderful museum. With all the…read morewonderful sights of this city it is very easy to forget this philosopher and poet Durante degli Alighieri, known as Dante. Beautiful illustrations abound within those walls, depicting his Divine Comedy. His authentically replicated bedroom with its spartial furniture. Well worth an hour or two wandering.

For 5 euros, you can check out the House of Dante Alighieri. If you've ever read Dante's Inferno,…read morethat's the Dante I'm referring to. There are some medieval items up on display in what was touted as the writer's former home. There's a bed and a slew of artifacts. There are some posters explaining the 9 circles of hell, purgatory, and paradise on the wall. For the most part, we were happy to have something to do on New Year's Day when most of Florence was still recovering from the night before. It wasn't the best curated museum I've been to but it's probably isn't the worst either. For the price, it's ok. Go if you're a true fan. Otherwise, you can skip it.

Pietre Dure is one of the lesser known and visited museums in Florence. It's a rather small museum…read morebut the fact that it is not crammed with tourists is certainly refreshing. The first floor of the museum consists of several galleries depicting the cultural significance of inlaid stonework during the renaissance while the second floor is an actual Pietre Dure workshop where one can learn about the arduous process by which these intricate tables are put together. The entire museum should take no longer than an hour making it a nice stop before lunch / dinner on a busy day. The museum entrance is also only 4eu (or free with an Uffizi ticket) which is refreshing when compared to other museums in town. Overall a great spot to see some beautiful examples of Renaissance inlaid stonework and craftsmanship. Worth a visit if you only have a bit of time to spare.

As you stand in awe, staring at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, there's a little voice in your…read morehead asking, "How in the world are they preserving/restoring this place?" The laboratory/workshop that restores timeless pieces of art is located at the Opificio Delle Pietre Dure. I had the opportunity to get a private tour through a corporate host for an event. Not only is it a lab, but its a school training students in the art of restoration. As you can imagine, its a painstaking process. Had glimpses into the processes of restoring bronze, stone & ceramic. Our group spent the most time in the mosaics lab. After observing the process, there is a little museum where you can see pieces that have been restored. Its fantastic that Florentines, as a culture, has always valued restoration (The Opificio was founded in 1588). Today, the Opificio dell Pietre Dure e Laboratori de Restauro is an institute of the Ministry of Culture.