Palazzo Guiccioli is an aristocratic residence built from the 16th century onwards by the Osio family, who hailed from Lombardy and were known for their activities as upholsterers and merchants. In 1803, ownership passed to Alessandro Guiccioli, an ardent Jacobin and close associate of Napoleon Bonaparte, who settled there in 1818 with his seven children, his young second wife Teresa Gamba Ghiselli, and a large household of servants.

Where Lord Byron lived

The palazzo is best known for having hosted Lord Byron, the English poet, revolutionary and non-conformist, whose influence on Anglo-American literature, alongside that of Shakespeare, was extraordinary. Byron resided at Palazzo Guiccioli from 20 February 1820 to 29 October 1821, driven by his ardent passion for Countess Teresa, Alessandro’s wife, for whom he assumed the role of Cavalier Servente.

A new museum complex of international importance

After a painstaking and lengthy restoration, Palazzo Guiccioli has been returned to the city in all its splendour and today forms the heart of a prestigious museum complex of international significance. Inside, it houses three distinct museums: the Byron Museum, dedicated to the poet’s life and work, told through memorabilia and artefacts preserved by Teresa; the Risorgimento Museum, built around the Classense Risorgimento Collection, which has been enhanced over time by private donations, including the Mario Guerrini Collection, bequeathed to the Municipality of Ravenna in 2002, and the Risorgimento collection of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Ravenna; and finally, the Doll Museum, which displays the Graziella Gardini-Pasini Collection, an extraordinary selection of period dolls.