Museo di Casa Vasari

Casa Vasari in Arezzo preserves the artist's own home and a cycle of decorations he designed and painted. Its rooms make visible Vasari's view of artistic practice, while the collection includes works by painters associated with his circle.

Why it matters

Giorgio Vasari bought the house in 1541. A painter, architect and author of Le Vite, he conceived the interior decorations as an account of the artist's calling, using mythological, biblical and allegorical subjects. The house is managed as part of the Arezzo state museums.

What to notice

Look at the painted ceilings, vaults and walls of the piano nobile as parts of a unified programme. The Stanzino Vasariano and the small chapel, or Cappellina, are intimate spaces within the house. The picture collection, assembled in the early 1950s, includes works by artists connected with the Studiolo of Francesco I in Palazzo Vecchio, including Alessandro Allori, Perin del Vaga, Giovanni Stradano and Santi di Tito. A hanging Italian-style garden adjoins the house.

Context and history

Vasari used the house as a retreat between commissions and continued to improve its decoration. His archive, including correspondence, the Ricordanze and the Zibaldone, remains in the building but is reserved for research. The public picture gallery was established in the early 1950s, bringing together works that reflect the Florentine artistic world Vasari helped shape.