The history of fashion from the 18th century to the 2000s illustrated by captivating glimpses in an interplay between art and the historical environment of the Museum

The history of fashion, haute couture, the evolution of taste and costume through the centuries

Between public and private court life: a Palace for three dynasties

Pitti Palace

<p>The Museum of Costume and Fashion (formerly known as the Costume Gallery) is located in the Palazzina della Meridiana next to the southern wing of Pitti Palace. Started under Grand Duke of Tuscany Peter Leopold by architect Gaspero Maria Paoletti in 1776 and completed in 1830 by Pasquale Poccianti under Grand Duke Leopold II, the building takes its name from the astronomical instrument made by Vincenzo Viviani in 1699. The instrument is in the vestibule &ndash; with the gnomon pinhole &ndash; of Grand Prince Ferdinando de&rsquo; Medici&rsquo;s apartment. Anton Domenico Gabbiani depicted the Allegory of Time and the Arts (1693) in the vault of the vestibule. All the successive dynasties, from the Habsburg-Lorraine family to the House of Savoy, including the regency of Maria Luisa of Parma and the brief reign of Elisa Baciocchi, left their mark on furnishings and decorative wall paintings. Founded in 1983, it was the first State museum in Italy dedicated to the history of fashion and its social significance. Displayed in rotation for conservation reasons, its collections include clothes, jewellery and accessories from the 18th century to today, along with a captivating group of stage costumes worn by movie, theatre and opera stars in works helmed by reknowned 20th-century directors. Among ancient garments, the 16th-century funeral clothes of Cosimo I de&rsquo; Medici, Eleanor of Toledo and their son Garzia de&rsquo; Medici have been completely restored and are part of the permanent collection on display.</p>

Museum of Costume and Fashion

The new arrangement of the Museum of Costume and Fashion 

Free admission to the national museums on the first Sunday of each month

 From 11 January 2025, the work will be on public view in the White Room

The Witch by Salvator Rosa displayed in Pitti Palace

Uffizi by night on Tuesdays

Tickets

The Newsletter of the Uffizi Galleries

An esoteric Seventeenth-Century masterpiece arrives at the Uffizi: the Witch by the ‘cursed’ painter Salvator Rosa

Scholars can find out here all that is needed to arrange their researches on the Uffizi Galleries’ cultural heritage: access to study rooms, digital archives, photo galleries of artworks from our collections with the opportunity to ask for digital reproductions.

Scholars

Never too late to learn! Conferences, meetings, guided tours and focuses for every age and taste!

Lifelong learning

Professional guides or groups aiming at planning a visit to the Uffizi Galleries can find all the necessary info here: special openings, code of conduct for groups, special visits, change of timetable.