Description of the attraction
The Antonio Manzi Museum is located on the ground floor of Villa Rucellai in the Tuscan town of Campi Bisenzio. The villa itself, also known as Villa il Pratello, is located in the historic center of the city and is a fortified medieval structure from the 13th century. You can still see traces of the tower, "absorbed" in the 15th century by a new structure. This tower is one of the few surviving towers built in the private houses of Campi Bisenzio.
The Antonio Manzi Museum occupies the 18th century wing of Villa Rucellai. There is also a beautiful park open to the public. The museum was founded thanks to the artist Antonio Manzi himself, who donated many of his works to the city. Manzi was born in the town of Montella in 1953 and soon moved with his family to Tuscany. In 1975, at the age of 22, he first organized an exhibition of his works in Campi Bisenzio, in the Ariete art gallery. Over the years, Manzi created many works of art, some of which can be seen today in different parts of the city - these are bronze sculptures in the Misericordia cemetery, a fresco depicting the Annunciation in the Church of Santa Maria, a statue of Inno alla vita, which is exhibited in the garden next to Villa Rucellai. In total, Antonio Manzi donated to Campi Bisenzio about 100 of his works, which are presented in five halls of the villa.
