Elia Volpi (1858-1938) was born in Città di Castelo, Italy. He was a well-known antique dealer whose business was in Florence, where he bought the Palazzo Davanzati in 1904. His goal was to restore it to make it his home and, at the same time, the headquarters of his antiques business (Vanni, 2009). In 1910 he opened the palace to the public for the first time, which led to numerous collectors having a great interest in the pieces. In November 1916 Volpi auctioned a large part of his collection in New York. After financial difficulties and numerous expenses, Volpi was forced to sell the rest of the palace's furnishings. Finally, the property was bought by the Italian State in 1951.
Bibliography
TOWNSEND, Horace; GUGLIELMETTI, Cesare y VOLPI, Elia (1916): Illustrated catalogue of the exceedingly rare and valuable art treasures and antiquities formerly contained in the famous Davanzati Palace, The American Art Association, Nueva York.