Museum Opificio delle Pietre Dure

This small museum was once a workshop, founded in 1588 and it's considered one of the most fascinating places in Florence! See mosaics made of semi-precious stones. See the tools used to craft the city's impressive churches, palaces, furniture and features, and witness fine craftsmanship.Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was Florence - something you'll have set in stone after a visit to Museum Opificio delle Pietre Dure. The famous Opificio workshop was founded way back in 1588, and here you'll see a range of art pieces and tools that went into creating some of the city's most beautiful churches, museums and palaces.There are two floors filled with furniture, pictures, paintings, desks and various other surfaces covered in stones. Get up close and feel your jaw drop over inlaid marble table tops, beautiful wall and ceiling art, marble samples and colorful marble sculptures. You'll see exquisite workmanship that just isn't around in these modern times, and find yourself marveling at the way certain mosaics made of semi-precious stones look more like paintings from just a few inches away.