Casa di Giovanni Spadolini, Political residence in Florence, Italy

The Casa di Giovanni Spadolini occupies an apartment in a building at Via Cavour 28, where the statesman was born and lived until 1978. Its grandfather had the ceilings frescoed by a late nineteenth-century painter; in the study, three angels stand for the three children, ringed by ten medallions with views of Treia and San Miniato. Shelves of books and works by Guido Spadolini fill the rooms.

The grandfather of Giovanni Spadolini bought the apartment at Via Cavour 28 along with other properties and had its ceilings frescoed by a late-19th-century painter. Spadolini was born here and lived in the house until 1978, when, after his mother's death, he moved to the villa at Pian dei Giullari. In April 2009 the house and all its contents were placed under conservation restriction by the superintendency.

The study ceiling shows three angels, one for each of the three children, ringed by ten small medallions with views of Treia, the grandfather's town in the province of Macerata, and of San Miniato, the grandmother's city. The walls hold engravings and paintings by the father Guido Spadolini, an engraver, plus works by Primo Conti, Lorenzo Viani and Nino Caffè, and Napoleonic-era prints the statesman collected.

The residence opens twice yearly for special visits and requires advance reservations to be arranged by phone or email. Plan your visit well ahead as access is limited and regular touring is not available.

The rooms contain a clock with Roman numerals that was gifted by poet Eugenio Montale to the family. This personal memento reveals the literary connections the family maintained.