Bardini Workshop: Woven Stories – Fabrics, Rugs and Tapestries
From 30 October 2026 to 31 January 2027, the Museo Stefano Bardini in Florence will host Officina Bardini: Woven Stories – Fabrics, Rugs and Tapestries, the third instalment in the exhibition series dedicated to the Bardini family and its legacy.
Following Officina Bardini (2022), held to mark the centenary of the antiquarian’s death, and Officina Bardini: The Art of Wood (2024), the new exhibition is the result of two years of research, study and restoration. It brings together more than fifty works from the Bardini Bequest, some of which have never been exhibited before, in dialogue with the city’s museum collections and works on loan from other museum institutions.
The exhibition offers a journey into the world of antique textiles through the history of the Bardini family, focusing in particular on the activities of Stefano Bardini and his children Emma and Ugo, who, between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, were key figures in an important international network of dealers, artisans, collectors and museums.
The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of guided tours, held every Friday at 2 pm and 3.30 pm, and every Saturday at 11 am and 12.30 pm.
The project is curated by the Municipality of Florence – Municipal Museums Superintendent’s Office, the Ministry of Culture – Regional Directorate of National Museums of Tuscany – Museo e Galleria Mozzi Bardini, and Fondazione MUS.E.
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Bardini Workshop: Woven Stories – Fabrics, Rugs and Tapestries
The exhibition is organised into five thematic sections and features artefacts, photographs and archival documents that testify to the artistic, social and commercial significance of textiles. Garments and accessories belonging to the Bardini family, tapestries, Oriental rugs, velvets, damasks, lace and historical garments dating from the Renaissance to the eighteenth century trace the evolution of taste and artisanal techniques.
Particular attention is devoted to the Bardini tapestry workshop and the work of its female artisans, to international trade networks, and to the dialogue between antique textiles and modern productions.
The exhibition also highlights the collections of the Bardini Bequest Historical Archive and presents the results of major restoration projects and scientific collaborations, offering an in-depth insight into the history of collecting and textile culture.
An opportunity to discover how textiles have been not only precious works of art, but also symbols of prestige, instruments of exchange and witnesses to history and culture.