The Riccardi’s exceptionally rich collection of antiquities was also displayed in other areas of the palazzo, particularly in the premises adjacent to the garden and in the “room of the bas reliefs” on the first floor. museum - the Marbles Room museum - the sala Sonnino
After the death of Francesco Riccardi in 1719, none of his descendants undertook major architectural or decorative projects. Over about sixty years, the Riccardi had spent approximately three times the purchase price to transform the palazzo of the Medici into an aristocratic residence of Baroque flavour. open image in a new window
For a number of decades the Riccardi continued to organise balls and sumptuous receptions, which became famous even beyond Florence. However, the economic decline of the family had set in, and the palazzo echoed to the footsteps of creditors and liquidators, its former glory by now a thing of the past
In 1814, just after the period of Napoleonic occupation, the Riccardi family gave their last reception in the palazzo of Via Larga. This time the feast was tinged with the melancholy hue of departure: the Riccardi sold their palazzo to the Tuscan state, and the then reigning Grand-ducal family of Lorraine.