A FLORENTINE RENAISSANCE HOME
An intimate and remarkable museum where paintings, sculptures, furnishings and everyday objects recreate the atmosphere of a historic Florentine home.
In the heart of Florence, just a few steps from the Basilica of Santa Croce, the Horne Museum houses the collection of the English art historian Herbert Percy Horne in the rooms of Palazzo Corsi.
A guided tour of the Horne Museum reveals the masterpieces in the collection while also showing how people lived in a Florentine Renaissance home.
ART AND EVERYDAY LIFE IN ONE JOURNEY
Discover the Horne Museum with Giulia Bacci
I am Giulia Bacci, a licensed tour guide and art historian. The tour goes beyond the best-known works: we explore the palace, its furnishings, marriage chests, kitchen and small objects to understand how art and domestic life came together in Renaissance Florence.
MORE THAN A PICTURE GALLERY
Three keys to understanding the Horne Museum
01
A Renaissance home
Works of art are displayed among furniture, marriage chests, ceramics and utensils, recreating the setting of a Florentine home between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
02
A collection of great masters
Giotto, Pietro Lorenzetti, Filippino Lippi, Piero di Cosimo, Benozzo Gozzoli, Dosso Dossi and Giambologna are among the leading artists represented.
03
Herbert Horne’s vision
The palace and collection reflect the work of a scholar who chose Florence and sought to preserve its artistic and domestic culture.
AN ENGLISHMAN IN LOVE WITH FLORENCE
Herbert Horne and his Florentine home
Born in London in 1864, Herbert Percy Horne was an architect, designer, scholar and discerning connoisseur of Italian art.
After several stays in Italy, he settled permanently in Florence, where he deepened his study of the Renaissance and formed his collection. He became one of the leading scholars of Sandro Botticelli and worked with international museums and collectors.
In 1911 he purchased Palazzo Corsi and personally supervised its restoration. Horne did not want to create a conventional gallery, but an interior in which architecture, works of art and everyday objects could exist in harmony.
When he died in 1916, he left the palace and everything it contained to the Italian State, making possible the creation of the Horne Foundation and Museum.
PAINTINGS, SCULPTURES AND FURNISHINGS
Works and objects to look out for
The Horne Museum is small in size but rich in meaning, ranging from masterpieces of painting to the history of objects once used in Florentine homes.
01
Giotto’s Saint Stephen
The collection’s best-known masterpiece reveals Giotto’s ability to give the sacred figure solidity, space and a powerful human presence.
02
Piero di Cosimo and Dosso Dossi
The Penitent Saint Jerome and theAllegory of Music introduce enigmatic imagery, landscapes, symbols and court culture.
03
Marriage chests, cradles and furnishings
Furniture and domestic objects tell stories of marriage, family, childbirth, work and the daily organisation of the home.
04
The kitchen
Utensils, vessels and tools reveal a practical side of Renaissance life that is normally absent from major museums.
05
The palace
Windows, ceilings, fireplaces and staircases form part of the story and help explain the transformation of a medieval and Renaissance residence.
06
Collecting
The museum reveals the taste and methods of a scholar-collector working between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
THE PALACE AS PART OF THE COLLECTION
A Renaissance home in the Santa Croce district
Palazzo Corsi stands at the corner of Via de’ Benci and Corso dei Tintori, in an area associated for centuries with textile production and dyeing.
Horne carefully studied the different phases of the building and supervised a restoration that was exceptionally rigorous for its time. The rooms were then furnished with objects selected for their date, function and provenance.
A visit to the museum therefore brings together architecture, urban history and everyday life in Florence.
OBSERVE, UNDERSTAND, CONNECT
Visiting the Horne Museum with a guide
The Horne Museum offers countless ways to explore its remarkable collection. The tour is adapted to the time available, the participants’ interests and the composition of the group.
01
Masterpieces of the collection
A tour focusing on Giotto, Piero di Cosimo, Filippino Lippi, Benozzo Gozzoli, Dosso Dossi and the other great masters.
02
Life in the home
A tour devoted to furnishings, marriage chests, the kitchen and objects that reveal family life and everyday habits.
03
Horne Museum and Casa Vasari
When opening arrangements allow, the visit can be combined with Casa Vasari for an itinerary exploring historic homes, artists and collecting.
A MUSEUM FOR DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES
Who the tour is designed for
Individuals and couples
A flexible visit with plenty of room for questions and personal interests.
Families
Furnishings, objects and rooms make history more tangible for children and teenagers.
Small groups
The museum’s intimate scale encourages an engaging and enjoyable visit.
Schools
The museum connects art history with society, family life and material culture.
Cultural associations
The tour can be developed around artistic, historical or collecting-related themes.
Visitors who already know Florence
An ideal destination for discovering a quieter and more intimate side of the city.
Discover other museums in Florence and personalised guided tours in Florence.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Information about visiting the Horne Museum
How long does a guided tour of the Horne Museum take?
The visit generally lasts about one hour to one and a half hours, depending on the participants’ interests and the desired level of detail.
Is the museum suitable for children?
Yes. Marriage chests, cradles, the kitchen and domestic objects make it possible to create a tangible and engaging story for younger visitors.
What is the museum’s most important work?
The best-known work is Saint Stephen by Giotto, but the museum’s distinctive character comes from the dialogue between paintings, sculptures, furnishings and rooms.
Can the tour be combined with another site?
Yes. It can be linked with the Santa Croce district or, when available, with Casa Vasari.
How can I check availability and price?
Send your preferred date or period, number of participants, language and desired duration by email, WhatsApp or through the Contact page.
PRIVATE AND PERSONALISED TOUR
Book a guided tour of the Horne Museum
Send your preferred date or period, number of participants, language, desired duration and any specific interests. Giulia will prepare a proposal suited to your group.
Photo credits: Palazzo Corsi and the Herbert Horne plaque, Sailko, Creative Commons licence; portrait of Herbert Percy Horne by Henry Harris Brown, public domain.