Workshop of Hard Stones of Florence
It consists, in fact, in its three locations, of specialized laboratories in the following sectors: stones, bronze, goldsmithing, ceramics, terracotta, and plastic materials, mosaics (historic headquarters of via degli Alfani), tapestries (flag room in Palazzo Vecchio), paintings, frescoes, paper, wood, fabrics (headquarters of the Fortezza da Basso, v.le Strozzi,1). The laboratories can be visited, by telephone reservation (0554625441-0554625448), on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.
Furthermore, in the historic headquarters is located the Opificio Museum, a treasure chest of precious treasures, which houses masterpieces of hard stones belonging to the Grand Dukes of Florence. In the recently renovated rooms, one can admire the splendid materials and astonishing technique of the Florentine ‘commessi’, of mosaics and various hard stone furnishings, produced from 1588 to the end of the nineteenth century by the manufactory created for this purpose by the Medici. And of that ancient manufactory, the Museum also presents supplies of stones, work tools, and technical secrets from which these magical creations were born.
The Opificio is also the seat of an important advanced training school, lasting four years, which is accessed through a public competition. Finally, the Institute is equipped with a well-stocked Library and a Restoration and Photographic Archive.
Museum of the Workshop of Hard Stones
Opened at the end of the nineteenth century and rearranged in 1995, the museum illustrates the production and history of the court manufactory specialized in works in hard stones (lapis lazuli, chalcedony, agate, jasper, etc.), which was established in 1588 by Ferdinand I de’ Medici. The Opificio, initially located at the Uffizi, was transferred to the current location in 1796 and today has transformed into a restoration laboratory.
The museum preserves beautiful furnishings (cabinets, tables, panels for the Chapel of the Princes of San Lorenzo) decorated with commesso, that is with stones cut and placed together in such a way as to form with their natural colors pictorial compositions, or with related techniques of stone painting and scagliola. The laboratory setup presents samples of materials, benches, and work tools.
