From December 13, 2024, the exit of the visitor route from the State Apartment, adjacent to the Honor Staircase, will host a small exhibition of household items from the viceregal period titled Le ceramiche dei Viceré. I reperti provenienti dal pozzo di Palazzo Vecchio (The Viceroys’ Ceramics: Artifacts from the Palazzo Vecchio Well).
The artifacts come from an archaeological excavation campaign conducted between 1999 and 2000, which led to the recovery of approximately 5,000 artifacts and ceramic fragments from a mid-16th-century well, likely used as a water supply point.
The 17 selected pieces on display serve as evidence of the city’s strong cultural connections and commercial exchanges with both nearby and distant countries, even during the years of Spanish rule.
These materials, along with a few other specimens, represent the best-preserved evidence from the excavation of the viceregal well. Given that it was used as a waste disposal site, many of the tableware items were already damaged before being discarded. The exhibited artifacts underwent an initial phase of restoration and cleaning in 2000, followed by further conservation work in 2024.
The exhibition features ceramics with decorative motifs typical of productions from factories in the castles of Abruzzo and central-northern Italy, such as Montelupo Fiorentino, as well as locally made artifacts and Spanish pieces (productions from Manises and Valencia). Also on display is a precious Chinese porcelain bowl with white glaze and cobalt blue enamel from the Ming Period (late 16th century).
The exhibition is open on the Palace’s visiting days (every day except Wednesday) from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM and is included in the museum admission ticket.