A Guide to Florence Museums

2007-03-08 10:33:40

( Arts )



For the art enthusiast, Florence museums provide a goldmine of art mediums for which one can draw inspiration and information from.

The world-renowned Uffizi Museum Florence is one of the greatest museums in the world. It houses paintings and sculptures from the 13th to the 18th century of artists such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raffaello, Piero and Giotto to name a few.

The Vasari Corridor, also known as the “secret corridor”, holds a collection of self-portraits from the 17th to the 20th century.

Galleria Dell’Accademia is the most visited museum known to hold the works of Michelangelo’s “David”, “The Four Prisoners” and “Pieta of Palestina”. A collection of paintings by the Grand Duke Leonard is also kept here.

The National Museum of “Il Bargello” who opened its doors in the middle of the 19th century contains works by Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Cellini, Donatello and Giambologna. This building used to be the residence of Bargello, the chief of police spies.

The Museum of the Cathedral houses the “Pieta” by Michelangelo, Donatello’s “Mary Magdalen”, Arnolfo di Cambio’s “Boniface VIII” and Cantoria’s “Luca della Robbia”.

The Museum of San Marco exhibits “The Last Supper” by Ghirlandaio and a series of illuminated manuscripts.

A collection of scientific instruments kept by the Medici and Lorraine families can be found at the Museum of the History of Science. Also kept there are scientific instruments used by Galileo Galilei.

If you are researching on the paintings and sculptures of 19th to 20th century artists, then you must visit the Gallery for Modern Art.

Fashion enthusiasts would be interested in visiting the Costume Gallery, which shows a selection of costumes dating back from the 16th century.

Those who love jewellery will enjoy a visit to the Museum of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure because it was a famous restoration center. You will find a collection of artworks made from gems and samples of marble work and mosaics.

The treasure of Medici and other important objects may be found in the Museum of Silverware.

The Medici Chapel has one of the greatest works of Michelangelo and contains the Chapel of Princes, where you can find the tombstones of the Grand Dukes of Italy.

The Gallery of the Hospital of the Innocents, which was formerly a hospital for abandoned children exhibits, a fine collection of gifts and bequests made by Innocenti.

In the Palatine Gallery, you will find the vast picture gallery of works of the greatest painters of the 16th and 17th centuries.

In visiting Florence museums it is strongly advised that you purchase your tickets in advance to avoid the long lines outside the museum. Florence museum tickets can be easily purchased via the Internet if one is not able to go directly to any of the Florence museums of their choice.


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