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The Guidi House, as we see it today, has the same number of rooms and the same layout of the flat rented in 1847 by the couple Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barret Browning, the famous English poets who lived in this house for several years. Elizabeth died in it in 1861.
It took two years to the Brownings to furnish the house. Only one or two pieces - and in particular the gilded mirror of the dining room - are valuable objects. The vast majority of paintings and of the furniture pieces was purchased by Florentine second-hand dealers, as the couple laid a strong emphasis on simplicity and functionality. In restoring their property, the Landmark Trust and Eton College have attempted to preserve the original atmosphere and avoid transforming it into a museum.
The house currently exhibits paintings and furniture pieces that belonged both to the Barrett and Browning, which have been generously donated to the Guidi House. As a whole, the furniture is a typical example of 19th century style. The walls and ceilings of the dining room and of the main bedroom and the ceiling of the poet's studio have been restored with the original colours of the time. All doors and chimney places are original. After the death of Elizabeth, the Municipal Administration commemorat honoured her with an inscription hung over the door (composed by Niccolò Tommaseo) that acknowledges her ability to create a gold ring joining Italy and England. |
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The drawing room at Casa Guidi today,
after reopening to guests. |
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