Work in progress

Since 1983 (the year of his brother Rodolfo’s death and the subsequent bequest of the house and its contents to Regione Toscana), his sister Imelde was a sitting tenant on the first floor.

Only the ground floor was open to the public, with a layout created by restorer Alfio Del Serra in the 1980s at the wishes of Rodolfo himself. All other parts of the building, namely the basement and the second floor, were closed to the public.

In December 2023, work began on the restoration, conservation renovation and adaptation to accessibility regulations, aimed at increasing the museum, exhibition and visitor functions of the architectural complex.

The overall restoration project for the property is aimed at reorganising the building as a museum, with special attention to the preservation of the peculiar elements and historical features of the asset.

Upon completion of the work, the 19th-century building will once again be a place of culture, open to the public in the form of a house museum and fully integrated into the planning activities of Regione Toscana.

The mezzanine and first floor will house the collection of cultural assets that belonged to Rodolfo Siviero, to showcase the return to Italy of artworks stolen before, during and after World War II, together with the genesis of the Italian Republic.

The collection also includes his library and an important selection of documentary assets, namely his personal manuscript and typescript archives. The photographic prints, negatives and plates of his professional activity and life are particularly noteworthy.

Upon completion of the work, all floors of the building will be accessible:

• The ground and first floors will be entirely used for the museum, covering a total of 530 m².
• The basement will be used for reception activities for visiting groups, with spaces for meetings and lectures, a cloakroom and toilets, totalling 260 m².
• On the second floor, there will be spaces for study and research activities.
• On the roof, the existing and previously unusable panoramic terrace will be made usable.

The work, partially financed by FSC 2021-2027 funds, is supervised by the Public Works Directorate - Management and Maintenance of Regional Real Estate and Public Works in the fields of Sport, Culture, Education, etc., with regard to structural aspects, building services and surface restoration. On the other hand, the Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Institutions and Activities, and Sports - Cultural, Museum and Documentary Heritage Sector, Contemporary art and Cultural investments, deals with the museological and museographic aspects and the reorganisation, cataloguing and inventory of movable assets.