Foresiana Gallery, Portoferraio
Paintings, coins, books, drawings, etchings and furniture that all belonged to Dr. Foresi
He was an important figure in the cultural life of Florence during the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. Dr Foresi’s collections began with what he inherited from his father, Raffaello, and his uncle, Alessandro, both of whom were part of the intellectual circles of Piovano Arlotto in Florence. They were both experts in the history of figurative arts and left him interesting art collections.
The gallery was opened to the public in 1924, at which point it was housed on the top floor of the town hall, where it remained until 1943. Subsequently, the works of art were moved to two Napoleonic residences (now owned by the state) of San Martino and Mulini. In 1991, the gallery was moved to its current location in the De Laugier ex-army barracks. This building dates to the sixteenth century and was home to the knights of Santo Stefano. It became a Franciscan monastery between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and then an army barracks in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
