Bargello - the former Bargello Palace (Palazzo del Bargello), also known as Palazzo Popolo (Palace of the People, Palazzo del Popolo / Palace of the People), which is now the Art National Museum of Bargello (Museo Nazionale del Bargello).
The museum houses some of the most important sculptures of the Renaissance, including masterpieces by Donatello, Luca della Robbia, Verrocchio, Michelangelo and Cellini, mainly from the collection of the Medici Grand Duke.
This is the oldest public building in Florence, which in itself is a landmark.
The building was built starting in 1255 to house first the Capitano del Popolo (an administrative title in the Middle Ages in Italy), and then, in 1261, the podesta, the highest magistrate of the city Council of Florence.
It was this building that served as a model for the construction of the famous Palazzo Vecchio, which is now also a museum and has an observation deck in the tower.
The building originally had two floors, and the third floor, composed of smaller blocks, was added after a fire in 1323.
In 1574, the Medici abandoned the function of Podesta and placed in the building of Bargello, the chief of police (city guard) of Florence (hence the modern name of the museum).
The building was also used as a prison where executions took place in the courtyard until they were abolished by Grand Duke Peter Leopold in 1786. The building remained the headquarters of the Florence Police until 1859. By royal decree of June 22, 1865, Bargello became the first Italian national museum dedicated to the art of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, which it is today.
The building is considered an example of the "vernacular style" and has a strict jagged appearance, arched windows and a former watchtower,4 and somewhat resembles small parts of castles.
The building has an inner courtyard (cortile) with two-tiered loggias, an external staircase (built by Neri di Fioravante in 1345-1367) leading to the second floor, a well in the center of the courtyard and sculptures.
Bargello Museum
The museum is known for Renaissance sculptures, including works by Donatello, Luca della Robbia, Verrocchio, Michelangelo and Cellini, collected mainly from the Medici collection.
The museum is also characterized by magnificent samples of bronze, majolica, wax, enamels, medals, ivory, tapestries, seals and fabrics, which came partly from the collections of the Medici, as well as from closed monasteries and from private individuals.
The museum is located on three floors of the building: on the ground floor you can admire the general view of the courtyard and the Michelangelo Hall with sculptures by Buonarroti, Cellini, Giambologna, Ammannati.
On the ground floor there is an impressive Donatello hall with the most famous works of the Florentine artist (David, Attis, San Giorgio, Marzocco), majolica sculptures by Luca della Robbia, bronze tiles by Ghiberti and Brunelleschi. On the floor, in different rooms, there are also collections of Islamic art, from the donations of Carranda, the Chapel (with the oldest image of Dante Alighieri), the Hall of degli Awori, the Hall of del Trecento, the Italian Hall of Majolice.
On the upper floor there is one of the main collections of masterpieces by Andrea and Giovanni della Robbia, the Bronzetti Hall, the Verrocchio Hall, the Medalliere Hall and the Armeria Hall, where fragments of the arsenal have been preserved.
Practical information
Temporary exhibitions are also held in the museum.
Entrance to the museum is paid.
The Bargello National Museum also includes other museums: the Medici Chapel at the Church of San Lorenzo, the Orsanmichele Church Museum, the Davanzati Palace Museum and the Martelli House Museum.
You can buy a ticket only to the museum in the Bargello Palace or a comprehensive ticket to all the objects of the museum. The complex ticket is valid for 72 hours.
Tickets can be purchased at the museum's ticket office or online in advance on the website.
For information about the museum's opening hours, ticket prices and conditions of visits, we recommend checking on the official website of the Bargello National Museum: bargellomusei.beniculturali.it.
The address of the Bargello Museum: Via del Proconsolo, 4, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy.
Coordinates of the Bargello Museum: 43°46'13.0"N 11°15'28.0"E (43.770278, 11.257778).
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