Stibbert Museum, History and art museum in Florence, Italy
The Stibbert Museum is an art and history museum housed in a 19th-century villa that holds about 36,000 objects. The collection brings together European and Islamic weapons, Japanese armor, costumes, and decorative pieces spanning many centuries.
Frederick Stibbert, the son of an English father and Italian mother, built this collection between 1849 and 1906. After his death, he left the villa and everything in it to Florence as a gift to the city.
The collection reflects how 19th-century collectors sought to bring together objects from many different parts of the world under one roof. Walking through the rooms, you see how this interest in distant cultures and military traditions shaped what an educated person of that time might own.
Plan to wear comfortable shoes, as the rooms are spread across multiple levels and require moving between floors. Starting your visit in the morning gives you the best chance to see everything without feeling rushed.
The Japanese weapons collection here is the largest outside Japan and includes 95 complete samurai suits of armor. This gathering reveals how European collectors of the 1800s were drawn to the fighting techniques and craftsmanship of the Far East.
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