Our great-grandfather, Salvatore Romano (Meta Di Sorrento 1875 - Florence 1955) – was a sea captain in Genoa, who fell in love with art and the antiques. Over the years, through his growing passion, he became one of the leading antiques dealers of his time. He moved to Florence in 1920 and built up strong relationships with the most prominent experts, art historians, collectors and museum curators from all over the world. He donated a museum to the Florence Municipality in 1946, the result of a singled out selection of sculptures, stony fragments, architectural decorations and detached frescoes, from numerous eras – from Roman antiquity to the XVI century, including masterpieces by Tino da Camaino and Donatello. The Salvatore Romano Foundation can now be visited in the Refectory of Santo Spirito, adjacent to the church.

Our grandfather Francesco (Naples 1910 – Florence 1981) was handed over the baton and strengthened the relations with institutions, museums, Italian and foreign collectors, who were welcomed at home, on the piano nobile of Palazzo Magnani Feroni in Via Dei Serragli. He was one of the founders of the Italian Antiquarian Association (Associazione Antiquari d’Italia) in 1959: an institution that still represents our category of professionals both in Italy and abroad.

Our father Simone carried on the tradition adding a modern, more dynamic approach. He started off with his brothers Paolo and Alessandro in the historic family gallery in Borgo Ognissanti, but later founded his own business in 1969; he called it “Galleria Ottaviani” and was initially located in Via dei Fossi, which then moved to the current location in Piazza Ognissanti.

Maria Novella e Mattia rappresentano la quarta generazione. Lei laureata in Storia dell'Arte Contemporanea presso L’Università degli Studi di Firenze - inizia a lavorare con il padre Simone alla fine degli anni ’90. Lui laureato in Economia e Gestione dei Servizi Turistici entra, dopo poco, a collaborare nella Galleria Ottaviani. Entrambi possono vantare corsi di aggiornamento tra cui uno stage per lo studio del disegno antico condotto presso Sotheby’s Londra, sotto la supervisione di Cristiana Romalli - Senior Director and Senior Specialist.