Paul McGhee
July 31st, 2014, 09:25 PM
I last visited Florence in about 1983 - long before I became interested in rugs, so it was a pleasure this week to visit the Bargello museum with its small but interesting collection of major Ushak, Holbein and Lotto carpets including a lovely large 16th/17th Century "flowers and birds" Ushak.
A larger collection, put together by famous antiquarian and dealer Stefano Bardini, can be found in the Museo Bardini on the south bank of the river in the Utrarno district. There you can buy a book about the collection called Oriental Geometries, Stefano Bardini and the Antique Carpet edited by Alberto Boralevi, who chairs the academic committee of the ICOC and lives and works within walking distance of the museum.
If you want to visit the (downhill) Museo Bardini, please note it is only open from Friday to Monday from 11.00am and is different from the (uphill) Villa Bardini and is therefore not included in the Pitti Palace/Giardino Bardini museums ticket. I missed the opening times but bought the book as a consolation prize. Must visit Florence more often!
A larger collection, put together by famous antiquarian and dealer Stefano Bardini, can be found in the Museo Bardini on the south bank of the river in the Utrarno district. There you can buy a book about the collection called Oriental Geometries, Stefano Bardini and the Antique Carpet edited by Alberto Boralevi, who chairs the academic committee of the ICOC and lives and works within walking distance of the museum.
If you want to visit the (downhill) Museo Bardini, please note it is only open from Friday to Monday from 11.00am and is different from the (uphill) Villa Bardini and is therefore not included in the Pitti Palace/Giardino Bardini museums ticket. I missed the opening times but bought the book as a consolation prize. Must visit Florence more often!