The venue of this exhibition is set in the very heart of Florence’s historic centre, on the banks of the Arno River, within Casa Abitata—an architectural complex with centuries of history. Spanning structures from the 13th to the 19th century, the site becomes a stage where contemporary art confronts and converses directly with the city’s millennia of accumulated time.

Piazza Ognissanti — Landscape View by Giuseppe Zocchi (1744)

Casa Abitata is located on Piazza Ognissanti, on the banks of the Arno River in Florence’s historic center—regarded by many locals as one of the city’s most elegant squares. On one side of the piazza stands the Church of Ognissanti (Chiesa di Ognissanti), founded in the 13th century and later rebuilt in the 17th century in Baroque style. The church once housed works by masters such as Giotto, Botticelli, and Ghirlandaio, making it a key landmark in early Renaissance art. Botticelli and Simonetta Vespucci—often called the “muse of the Medici era”—are buried here, and the Vespucci family chapel of the great explorer Amerigo Vespucci is also located within the church.

Chiesa di Ognissanti

Within the Arno riverside district of Florence where this exhibition is situated, the Church of Ognissanti (Chiesa di Ognissanti) stands out as the area’s most significant historical and spiritual landmark. The church was originally founded in the mid-13th century by the lay religious order of the Umiliati, at a time when Florence was still undergoing urban expansion and the rapid growth of artisanal industries. Renowned for their expertise in the wool and textile trades, the Umiliati combined an ascetic way of life with productive labor, meaning that from its very inception the church was closely intertwined with the economic and social fabric of the Arno riverbank.

Interior of the Church of Ognissanti (Chiesa di Ognissanti)

Since the 15th century, the site has brought together works by artists such as Domenico Ghirlandaio and Sandro Botticelli, including Saint Augustine in His Study, Saint Jerome in His Study, and The Last Supper. Through subsequent relocations and restorations, these works became closely connected with institutions such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Monastery of San Marco, positioning the Church of Ognissanti as one of the key nodes for studying Florence’s Renaissance iconographic tradition.

Domenico Ghirlandaio, Madonna della Misericordia (c. 1472)

On the opposite side of the square, the city’s contemporary profile is defined by two world-renowned luxury hotels: The St. Regis Florence and The Westin Excelsior, both located here. Facing the Arno River and looking toward the Ponte Vecchio, they have welcomed countless European aristocrats, writers, and cultural figures since the 18th century, and are widely regarded as synonymous with “taste and style.” Extending outward from the piazza, Piazza Ognissanti connects with the Lungarno Vespucci riverbank, the historic Palazzo Giuntini (now home to a luxury hotel), and a series of heritage buildings, forming an urban corridor that combines residential life, artistic culture, and high-end hospitality. Within roughly a ten-minute walk are landmarks such as the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Santa Maria Novella railway station, and the Ponte Vecchio—making this one of the rare districts in Florence’s historic center where religious-art heritage, aristocratic palazzi, and contemporary luxury hotels converge in a single, concentrated area.

Palazzo Renz(i) and Palazzo Giuntini

The architectural fabric of Casa Abitata, the venue for this exhibition, can be traced back to the 13th century. With an interior height of approximately 4.5 meters, street-facing display windows, and a relatively intact exhibition axis, it preserves a strong sense of historical space while offering the flexibility and openness required for contemporary display. This architectural context—marked by accumulated layers of time—provides a more charged, site-specific support for contemporary artworks: artistic practice is no longer understood merely as something “shown inside a space,” but rather as a point of intersection with Florence’s urban memory, the everyday life along the Arno riverbank, and the spiritual history embedded in Piazza Ognissanti.

Casa Abitata

Casa Abitata