Opificio delle Pietre Dure

A workshop and institute for processing, restoration and conservation of semi-precious stone artworks is located in Florence, Via degli Alfani.

It was founded by Ferdinando I Medici (1549-1609), the son of Cosimo I and Eleonore of Toledo.

Ferdinando succeeded his brother Francesco I as the Grand Duke of Tuscany. The workshop was created in 1588 as an idea that arose from the need to finish and decorate the Prince's tomb at the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence.

Today, Opificio also contains a museum dedicated to works in semi-precious stone.

It is a small space where objects such as tables, decorative elements of flowers, animals, fruits, ornaments, scenes from the Florence landscape are on display ....

Exhibited are presses and stone processing machines, workbenches, various processing techniques are also shown, and thus the whole process of work from idea to completion of the art object can be followed step by step.