22 - DAVANZATI PALACE

Florence - Davanzati Palace

Beginning with one curiosity, the Madornale.

This was the largest room of a building in a wealthy family usually stay where the lady of the house together with those who today might be called adjuvants.

The name comes precisely from 'madonna', from the Latin 'mea dominates', 'my lady. Subsequently and with the passage of time, Madonna, with a capital M becomes nickname of Mary the mother of Jesus but is the size of the hall of madornale that today joins the adjective to a 'big mistake' or a 'thing enormous and usually wrong. 'I made a mistake', 'is a abbaglio madornale', precisely because of the size of the hall which had literally disproportionate size.

Over time was also devoted to reception guests' and families' friends' because the one in the house, able to accept a certain amount of people.

In 1904 it was one of those houses saved from demolitions "Florence Capital" and was bought by antiquarian, mrs Elia Volpi that after having restored it, following the original project, furnished with the intention of showing you all a house of ancient Florence. In 1916, however, the entire furniture set, was sold at auction in New York and Mr Volpi, in 1920, refurnished it again.

On the other hand Mr. Volpi was a merchant and again in 1924 sold all the furnishings two brothers, Vitale and Leopoldo Benqujat originating in Alexandria, Egypt. It is not over. In 1934 the third decoration was again dispersed in public auction. In 1951 the Italian State intervened purchasing the property made it available to the public in 1956.