Casa Museo Palazzo Viti

Palazzo Viti is a furnished historic house in Volterra, with twelve rooms of Italian, European and Oriental art and decorative objects. The palace began as a residence for the Incontri family and later became the home of alabaster merchant Giuseppe Viti.

Why it matters

The house preserves the taste and collections of a Volterran merchant family. Paintings, porcelain and alabaster objects are displayed among the palace’s historic furnishings, giving the rooms the character of a residence rather than a conventional gallery.

What to notice

The collections span the fifteenth to nineteenth centuries and include furniture, paintings, porcelain and alabaster. The palace was used as a filming location by Luchino Visconti for Vaghe stelle dell’Orsa, released in 1965.

Context and history

Construction began for Attilio Incontri at the end of the sixteenth century. Giuseppe Viti acquired the palace in 1850 and restored and furnished it. His travels as an alabaster merchant are reflected in the house’s European and Oriental objects. The family opened the palace to visitors as a museum.