Museums in Florence, Italy. Directory of Florence museums.

Palazzo Medici Riccardi , by Gimmario

Palazzo Medici Riccardi
Address: Via Cavour 1 Phone: +39 055 276 0340

see map

This stately edifice by Michelozzo di Bartolomeo is a 15th-century palace clad in stone blocks with horizontal stripes and is the very epitome of the grandeur of the Medici family. Here Renaissance features meet architectural elements of the classical antiquity, Roman decoration plus ornate chapels, most notably the Magi Chapel with frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli. Strolling among the vast and lavish rooms, one can spot portraits of Medici family members and other noblemen of the day.

Archaeological Museum (Museo Archeologico) , by Marta Hanska

Archaeological Museum (Museo Archeologico)
Address: Via della Colonna, 38 Phone: +39 055 235750

see map

Holding one of the world's principal collections of Etruscan art, this museum is installed in Palazzo della Crocetta, a 17th-century edifice attributed to Giulio Parigi. Having started to operate as a museum in the late 19th Century, it has ever since maintained a comprehensive Egyptian section, as well as displays of Greek and Byzantine art.
more

Casa di Dante , by György Rusznák

Casa di Dante
Address: Via S. Margherita 1 Phone: +39 055 219416 e-mail: info@museocasadidante.it
Website: http://www.museocasadidante.it/
see map

This is the 13th-century location of the home of Alighieri, although Dante himself never lived in this house. It was in the early 20th Century that the Municipality of Florence installed a musem on the property to celebrate the poet.
more

Cenacolo di Santo Spirito Museum , by Andrew

Cenacolo di Santo Spirito Museum
Address: Piazza Santo Spirito 29 Phone: +39 055 287 043

see map

A former monastery, this site is currenly brimming with high art, mostly assembled from donations that the Florentine nobles presented to the monks. Of the older structure, the refectory is the sole surviving part, and it is here that the present-day museum has been installed. Apart from the fresco fragments of a 'Last Supper', a regular fixture on each refectory wall in Florence, here one can admire a valuable collection of 11th-century Romanesque statuary. This secluded museum also displays pieces by Donatello, 'Madonna with Child' by Jacopo of the Oak and several panels.

Porcelain Museum (Museo delle Porcellane) , by Lia Cedro

Porcelain Museum (Museo delle Porcellane)
Address: Piazza Pitti 1 Phone: +39 0552388605

see map

Set deep into the Boboli gardens, this museum offers a comprehensive selection of porcelain objects, mostly the former property of the Medici, Lorena and Savoy families. Here one can view and compare various porcelain items from Sevres in France, the local Doccia factory and from all over Italy.

museo, nazionale, del, bargello, bargello, museum, florence, italy, by Julia Jackson

Museo Nazionale del Bargello (Bargello Museum)
Address: Via del Proconsolo 4 Phone: +39 055 238 8606 e-mail: museobargello@libero.it
Website: http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/musei/bargello/
see map

This former palazzo and prison has only recently been converted into a museum. Bargello Palace started off as the property of Capitano del Popolo in the 13th Century, which makes it Florence's oldest public building. During the 16th Century, the Medici installed the police administration of Florence here, and hence it operated as a regular execution venue until the 18th Century. The site's function as a prison was vetoed by the then-Governor of Tuscany, who converted it into a museum. An impressive structure rubs shoulders with Volognana Tower and has a peaceful courtyard with a well. The lavish interiors contains thousands of Gothic and Renaissance sculptures spanning a period from the 14th up to the 17th Century.

Museo Marino Marini , by Nikki Tate-Stratton

Museo Marino Marini
Address: Piazza San Pancrazio Phone: +39 055 219-432

see map

Nestled in the very core of Florence, in the immediate vicinity of Piazza Santa Maria Novella, this museum has been installed in the Church of Saint Pancrazio, a 10th-century edifice that lost its religious functions in the early 19th Century and was subsequently used for a number of public functions. The museum has been active since 1988, following an interior restructuring by Bruno Sacchi and Lorenzo Papi. Dedicated to the work of Marino Marini, the site contains 200 of his works bequeathed to the city by the artist himself. Apart from sculptures, the site displays various clay models, etchings and sketchwork. The chronological showcases offer artist-related memorabilia, thus complementing the large-scale statuary.

Pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella , by Michelle Enemark

Pharmacy of Santa Maria Novella
Address: Via Delle Scala 16 Phone: +39 055 216 276 e-mail: officina@smnovella.com
Website: http://www.smnovella.com
see map

The successor of the 12th-century Church of Santa Maria delle Vigne, this structure was commenced towards the end of the 14th Century by Fra Sisto and Fra Ristoro, and was incorporated into a convent several decades later. Boasting a classic Gothic interior, the site used to display the 13th-century ‘Rucellai Madonna’ by Duccio, currently hung at the Uffizi Museum and currently has a 14th Century crucifix attributed to Giotto. The chapels exhibit an abundance of religious artifacts, with the Strozzi Chapel being of particular significance. The frescoes by Nardo di Cione depict the Last Judgement and Hell scenes, complemented by similarly themed stained glass windows. The altar panel was the 14th-century work of Andrea di Cione, while the chapter room is frescoed by Andrea di Bonaiuto.