The Casa Guidi is located near the San Felice Church in Florence. It was the residence of the English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning and her husband Robert when they lived in the city. Today it is a museum.
Casa Guidi Florence
Address, opening hours and entrance fee
The address is Piazza S. Felice, 8 – Florence (tel. +39 055354457). It is open from 1 April to 30 November on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 15:00 to 18:00. Admission is free, but a tip is appreciated.
History Casa Guidi Florence
The building originally dates from the 15th century.
The Brownings lived here from 1846, after they were married in secret. The house has been preserved exactly as it was when they left it. This means that (except for a few pieces of furniture) it is actually not that interesting. The Brownings had a simple lifestyle and bought most of their belongings from second-hand sellers in the city itself.
One of Elizabeth‘s most famous poems is called “Casa Guidi Windows”. It was written on the occasion of the unification of Italy. “I heard last night a little child go singing / ‘Neath Casa Guidi windows, by the church, / O bella libertà, O bella!
She would eventually die at Casa Guidi on June 18, 1861. After her death, an inscription made by Niccolò Tommaseo was placed above the front door.