Rizieri Bacarelli, grandfather of the current head of the firm, Riccardo Bacarelli, first obtained his license to launch his gallery, Antichita Bacarelli, in 1923. In 1947 following the death of Rizieri, his young son Benvenuto took control of the firm. This began the rapid rise of the fortunes of the gallery, followed by the continual participation since 1961 in all of the editions of the Florentine Biennale. In addition to participating in every Biennale, Benvenuto was a member of the Collegio di Consulenza of the fair from 1975 to 1987. The gallery, now directed by Benvenuto's son Riccardo, offers a wide selection of furniture, objects of art, sculpture and paintings which span the period from the Renaissance to the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth. However, the main specialty of the gallery is in sculpture and painting. These are the areas that Riccardo Bacarelli has spent his life studying. The recently renovated gallery is situated in the heart of Florence at Via dei Fossi, 33r. The firm counts as its clients numerous important public institutions as well as the Italian Fine Arts Commission not to mention numerous banking institutions and private collectors throughout the world. The gallery also does valuations and can arrange for written expertises.
Riccardo Bacarelli, aside from being a long-standing member of the Italian Antique Dealers Association, is one of the members of the executive committee of the Biennale Internazionale of Antique Dealers at the Palazzo Venezia in Rome and he is one of the members of the directive committee of the Associazione Antiquari Fiorentini. Antichità Bacarelli participates in the most important antique fairs in Italy and has recently expanded its operations by opening a new gallery space in London.