Museum of Villa Mansi

It was interesting the way it was finished, wood trim painted to look like marble, walls painted to look like tapestries and floors painted to look like terrazzo.

If you are in Lucca don't miss it: it's an amazingly rich collection of tapestries (arazzi) from a rich merchant family (Mansi) from 1600, all originals. Not to mention the paintings collection among which a couple of Tintoretto's and a Ghirlandaio's.

Superb. Un muzeu frumos. Merita vizitat. The Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Mansi is one of the two main art museum hosting tapestry collections and mainly post-19th century art collections owned by the city of Lucca, Italy. The collection is displayed in the Baroque palace, formerly belonging to the Mansi family, and located in central Lucca. Many of the original room decorations remain in place. The Palace was first erected at the site of a few earlier tower-houses bought in 1616 by the Lucchese merchant of silk Ascanio Mansi and his descendants. While the facade retains earlier Renaissance window features, between 1686 and 1691, Ascanio's son Raffaello employed the architect Raffaello Mazzanti to further renovate the now palace, and the piano nobile rooms acquired the present decoration and a grand staircase access. The cooler ground floor rooms were turned into a summer apartment. In the second half of the 18th century, Luigi Mansi pursued further refurbishing. The Mansi family retained prestige in the early 19th century; Raffaele Mansi and Camilla Parensi had been appointed courtiers to Elisa Bonaparte and Felice Baciocchi. Raffaello Mansi Orsetti, who died in 1956, was the first to display the art collections to the public. In the mid-1960s his children sold the palace to the state, which has converted into a National Museum of arts and tapestries. The interiors house a highly decorated bedroom alcove with gilded caryatid columns flanking the portal.

Interesting museum in the palace of one of Lucca's most prominent families, with gorgeous portraits and an interesting and lovely collection related to Eliza, sister of Napoleon.

Cheap, but not the largest museum, with most paintings and artifacts being from 1800's onwards. The biggest issue is the lack of air conditioning or even fans, which especially on the third floor almost makes it unbearable to view the exhibits. The garden was also closed for renovations.

Really enjoyed the museum. The exterior is not special or beautiful but the interior was fascinating. Totally recommend it.

Amazing house full of treasures. Difficult to get in because of only 2 entrance times

4€ per adult, 2€ reduced. We enjoyed the rooms and all their different styles, there is more on the upper floors were the museum changes into an art gallery. English information is available in all rooms, sadly a bit generic. Enjoyed it anyway. It’s a shame that there is no beautiful garden at Villa Mansi, but the house is worth a visit.