This museum is located in a 15th-century mansion. Inside, the furnishings and style of the time when the English collector Herbert Horne (1864-1916) lived there have been preserved.
He is known for having assembled a large number of paintings, sculptures, pieces of furniture, and ornaments dating back to the 14th-15th centuries. Special attention should be paid to the silver items and carved ivory objects, which perfectly reflect the splendid taste of the mansion's owner.
The "pearls" of the collection are rightfully considered to be paintings by Italian artists such as Benozzo Gozzoli, Simone Martini, or Bernardo Daddi. However, the furniture made by Florentine craftsmen and displayed on the second floor of the house inspires no less admiration.
Herbert Horne acquired this palazzo at the end of the 19th century. The antiquarian devoted the rest of his life to restoring the ancient Renaissance mansion. However, it was only after the owner's death in 1916 that all its rooms were fully restored.
Horne donated his entire richest collection of works of art and crafts to the state. As a result, a museum was created, and it was decided to place it in the same house where the collector had lived. Today, guided tours are held there every day, and visitors note that the mansion still preserves the spirit and atmosphere of olden times that its former owner so strongly aspired to.
