The Place:"The official GUCCI MUSEO is inside the historic Palazzo della Mercanzia located in Florence’s Piazza Signoria. It was in 1921 that Guccio Gucci opened his company and first store in Florence with a dream and a vision that still lives on today through a heritage of icons and values that continue to inspire the House.
Conceived by Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini, the GUCCI MUSEO is a living space encapsulating the House's “Forever Now” philosophy. A permanent exhibition from its rich and culturally significant archive, which has been preserved and amplified throughout the years, will be juxtaposed with contemporary art installations supported by the Pinault Foundation.
The ancient Palazzo della Mercanzia, dating back to 1337 and still today a symbol of the Florentine arts and craftsmanship, spans from Piazza della Signoria to Piazza San Firenze and originates from two splendid buildings, respective offices of the Ufficio della Condotta degli Stipendiati and the Università dei Mercanti and Ufficio della Mercanzia, in the time of the Medici.
The GUCCI MUSEO spans 1,715 square meters across three floors and is divided into different thematic rooms inspired by the House’s iconic motifs and symbols. The private basement houses the vault that contains the Gucci Archive: an immense collection of ready-to-wear, accessories, objects, documents and photographs, meticulously collected, catalogued, and conserved to document the creative universe and cultural influence of the House’s heritage."
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The Person:"Guccio Gucci (Florence, 26 March 1881 – 2 January 1953) was an Italian businessman and fashion designer, the founder of The House of Gucci and son of an Italian merchant from the country's northern manufacturing region.
A craftsman, he founded the House of Gucci in Florence in 1921 as a small family-owned leather saddlery shop. He began selling leather bags to horsemen in the 1920s. As a young man, he rapidly built a reputation for quality, hiring the best craftsmen he could find to work in his atelier. In 1938, Gucci expanded his business to Rome. Soon his one-man business turned into a family business, when his sons Aldo, Vasco, Ugo and Rodolfo joined the company.
In 1951, Gucci opened their store in Milan and two years later, the company expanded overseas with the opening of the Manhattan store.
For his final years, he lived near Rusper, West Sussex, England."
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