City of art, pearl of the Renaissance, Florence is a treasure trove of beauty and attractions that bear witness to its history and culture. Among all the things to do in Florence there is also the possibility of visiting Dante Alighieri’s house museum. In fact, in the heart of the medieval city, a suggestive tower-house hosts the Museum dedicated to the great poet, father of the Divine Comedy and of the Italian language. Here the house of the Alighieri family originally stood, and here – near the Torre della Castagna – Dante was born in 1265.
In this article we find out what to find inside Dante’s house Museum with its various rooms and activities that are organized to interest the youngest visitors.
The Florentine building dedicated to the great poet
Inaugurated in 1965, the Museum was established with the aim of creating a place of memory and, at the same time, spreading the knowledge of Dante’s life and works to the general public, with a strong historical-educational vocation. It is not known if the building is really Dante’s old house, but it was certainly close to the Torre della Castagna.
The structure
On the first floor of the building there is a room dedicated to the Art of the Medici and the Apothecaries, to which Dante belonged, with the display of plants, flowers, alembics and minerals used to make ointments and potions for the sick. In the second room, dedicated to Politics, the topic of internal divisions and city factions is told, while in the third one, dedicated to the Florentine Economy , there is also a model representing the subdivisions of the city, and informative materials on the main production activities.
The third room is dedicated to the theme of the Battle of Campaldino – in which Dante participated directly – with a model of the Guelfi and Ghibellini armies deployed, and the full-size reproductions of the soldiers involved in the fight. Going up to the second floor the rooms are dedicated to the Exile of the poet, with the display of books by great Florentine historians, and the bedroom, which faithfully reproduces that belonging to the poet, and that houses the original Editions and a copy of the Divine Comedy from the Trivulziano Code printed in 1337.
The exhibition finishes in the Bride and Notary Hall, which preserves the reproductions of two hand-embroidered dresses adorned with jewels.
Varied activities
The Museum has many activities aimed at children and young people, with a program of educational workshops that allow young people to approach the figure of Dante in a creative and engaging way. Among these we note:
- “The divine Quiz”
- “Dante and the Middle Ages”
- “Puzzle Divine Comedy”
- “Astrology and Numerology in the Divine Comedy”.
Although there are many things to visit in Italy, it is worth considering the Dante Alighieri’s House Museum. It is certainly one of the must-see places if you happen to be in Florence and you want to immerge yourself in one of the oldest parts of the historical center of the city, to discover the great poet who made the history of the Italian language. Really interesting, do you agree?
