In our tours, we like to take you to see lesser-known places in our beloved Florence. In the itinerary dedicated to Michelangelo, along with the most popular museums where you can see iconic works like the David, we have also included a stop at the National Museum of the Bargello. Housed in an evocative Medieval palace, this museum hosts a collection of diverse works from various places, eras, and cultures, spread over three floors. From the Middle Ages to the Baroque period, from the Islamic art to the Western world, a vast heritage unfolds before our eyes, allowing every visitor, from the casual enthusiast to the expert collector, to engage with highly valuable sculptures, paintings, and art objects: a heritage that ranges from masterpieces of statuary to armor, from jewelry to majolica, all according to techniques, languages, materials, and dimensions of the greatest variety. The charm and originality of the Bargello lie in the extraordinary array of works displayed in the palace since the mid-19th century.
In 1865, the building was inaugurated as the first museum of the new Kingdom of Italy. From the Gallery of the Uffizi came the magnificent collection of sculptures featuring works by Michelangelo Buonarroti, Andrea Verrocchio, Benvenuto Cellini, and Donatello. To these Renaissance treasures, which play a predominant role in the collection, a splendid series of small bronzes is added, a genre particularly appreciated in the 16th century, bringing us back to the richness of the Wunderkammer and princely studios.
Part of the collection of applied arts, greatly enriched by the Conti, Ressman, and Franchetti donations, comes from the Uffizi Gallery. Among the most significant bequests is the one of Louis Carrand, dating back to the late 19th century, which includes over 265 ivory artifacts from the 5th to the 17th century, allowing us to trace the history of ivory carving. As you proceed through the museum’s halls, you encounter one of its most distinctive rooms, dedicated to historical hunting and parade weapons, many originating from the Medici armory and the Wardrobe of Palazzo Vecchio. Equally rich and fascinating is the section housing the medal collection of Medici and Lorraine families, where about 1,000 of the over 25,000 specimens preserved at the Bargello can be admired. Particularly striking is the section dedicated to majolicas, varied and finely colored, with amphoras, plates, and jugs, all set in a context highlighting the beautiful core of ceramics from Urbino workshops. Thanks to numerous public and private loans and donations, such as those from the State Archives and the Mint, the museum also acquired a series of seals and coins. During the period of Italian unification, the valuable glazed terracotta specimens created by Della Robbia family workshop arrived.
All these works, with their history and uniqueness, make the Bargello Museum one of the most spectacular places in Florence, absolutely not to be missed when you visit the city!
Floe – Florence Local Experts
Via Laura, 38 – 50121 Florence (IT)
