Madia (furniture)

A madia was a piece of furniture used during the High Renaissance period in Italy. A standing cupboard, the madia stored food and dishes, particularly bread, and were sometimes used as bread troughs. It is similar to the cassone, though generally more functional and less ornate.^[1] It would usually be found in the kitchen, not in an open area.

One type of madia included a hutch-shaped cupboard, raised on end supports, with several doors and drawers. Others, more typical of the seventeenth century, were sarcophagus-shaped with a slanted top and paneled ends, often with brass studding.^[2]

The madia fell into disuse after the eighteenth century.^[2]

See also

• Sideboard
• Basilica of the Madonna della Madia