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Mostra Mercato Internazionale dell'Antiquariato

Name: Mostra Mercato Internazionale dell'Antiquariato
Telephone: +39 055 282 635
Start: 2026-09-26
Location: Palazzo Corsini

If you are an antique art lover, this is a can't-miss event to put on your calendar if you are in Florence - or maybe even a reason to come in itself: the Mostra Mercato Internazionale dell'Antiquariato (Florence Antiques Biennial). The International Biennial of Antiques in Florence is one of the most important events dedicated to Italian art on the international scene, and this is a serious collectors' event with important objects and works of art - it is not an "antiques" market in the flea-market sense.

2026 Dates and Hours

The 34th edition (XXXIV) runs from September 26th to October 4th, 2026, with a preview day on September 25th reserved for collectors, museum directors, and VIP card holders. The fair is open to the public daily from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., with the ticket office closing at 7 p.m.

Admission is €25 for a full ticket, or €10 for residents of the Metropolitan City of Florence and for organized groups of 12 or more (reservation required for groups). Entry is free for children and teenagers under 15, visitors with disabilities and one accompanying person, and holders of the Biennale VIP Card.

What to Expect

Founded in 1959, BIAF is the only fair in the world hosted entirely inside a historic palace, and Palazzo Corsini's monumental staircase, frescoed rooms, and terrace over the Arno make the setting nearly as much a draw as what's on the tables. Around eighty exhibitors take part, all subject to a rigorous vetting process - a committee of dozens of international experts verifies the authenticity, quality, and condition of every piece before the doors open, which is part of what separates BIAF from an ordinary antiques market. Works on display span gold-ground panels and Old Master paintings through wooden and marble sculpture, historic furniture, decorative arts, and increasingly twentieth-century and contemporary pieces as well.

The Biennial takes place only once every two years, and it typically overlaps with Florence Art Week, so many of the city's private galleries stay open later than usual during the run - worth building into a visit if you're already planning to be in the historic center that week.