According to tradition, in this house Boccaccio lived the last years of his life, here in Certaldo, Tuscany. Here, in fact, he is said to have died in 1375. The House was bought and restored in the early nineteenth century by Marchesa Carlotta Lenzoni de’ Medici, a poetess and friend of many writers including Giacomo Leopardi and Byron: she endowed the building with new furniture and a fresco depicting Giovanni Boccaccio by the neoclassical painter Pietro Benvenuti. During World War II the house was almost completely razed to the ground by Allied aerial bombardment, but the fresco was the only thing miraculously saved.
Today the house museum is home to the Boccaccio National Trust and a well-stocked library focusing on the work of the illustrious tenant. On the ground floor, a large room welcomes visitors with panels presenting the life and works of Giovanni Boccaccio. A film can also be viewed. On the second floor are both the library and the room with the fresco. Going up to the second floor leads to a covered loggia, and from here it is possible to continue the visit to the top of the tower, an integral part of the building, from which it is possible to have a splendid view of Valdelsa.
High season (April/October):
Daily: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. / 2:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Low season (November / March):
Daily: 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. / 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays