Florence will once again become an international centre for fine art and antiques from Saturday, September 26 to Sunday, October 4, when the Florence International Antiques Biennale (BIAF) returns to Palazzo Corsini.
The event, one of Italy’s longest-running international antiques fairs, was founded in September 1959 by Giuseppe and Mario Bellini, sons of antiquarian Luigi Bellini, who had first brought leading Italian antique dealers together in Florence in 1953.
Around 80 Italian and international galleries are expected to take part in this year’s edition. Italian exhibitors will come from cities and regions including Milan, Rome, Florence, Naples, Bologna and Veneto, while galleries from London, Paris, Munich, Geneva, Lugano and Palm Beach will also be represented.
The 35th edition is the first under the direction of the Biennale’s new secretary general, Bruno Botticelli. Works on display will range from gold-ground paintings and Old Master canvases to wooden and marble sculpture, period furniture and decorative arts, as well as works by major 20th-century and contemporary artists.
Michelangelo drawing on display
One of the main works presented during the Biennale will be Michelangelo’s drawing for his unrealised project for the façade of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence.
The work, on loan from Casa Buonarroti, will be displayed in the Throne Room on the first floor of Palazzo Corsini, the historic palace overlooking the Arno.
The Throne Room will also host the Biennale’s programme of talks, lectures and book presentations, bringing together art historians, scholars and representatives of international museums.
Events across Florence
The Biennale will extend beyond Palazzo Corsini through collaborations with museums and cultural institutions across Florence.
Among the events planned is the presentation at the San Marco Museum of two Medici porcelain vases donated to the museum.
BIAF is also collaborating with Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi. Visitors holding a Biennale ticket will be eligible for reduced admission to Broken. The Power of the Fragment, the exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi.
Practical information
Dates: September 26–October 4, 2026
Opening hours: Daily from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Venue: Palazzo Corsini, Florence
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