History Museums in Florence

Museo Nazionale del Bargello is a museum in Florence that is housed in a 13th-century palace which is the oldest public building in Florence. It opened as a national museum in 1865 after it was used as barracks, a prison, and finally the residence of the Bargello, the head of the police. The art gal

Located just behind the cathedral, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo was founded in 1891 to hold the works of art that were originally decorating the Baptistry of San Giovanni, the Duomo and Giotto's Bell Tower. There are over 750 medieval and Renaissance statues and reliefs situated over three floors

Museo Galileo is a museum in Florence where visitors can learn about the history of science. Housed in Palazzo Castellani, the museum boasts a great collection of scientific instruments from the Medici Collection dating back to the 15th century. The permanent exhibition is devoted to Galileo, even G

The Vasari Corridor in Florence is an enclosed passageway that was built in 1565 by Cosimo I de' Medici. Linking the Palazzo Pitti and the Palazzo Vecchio, this corridor is decorated with paintings by Raphael, Bernini, Rubens, and Rembrandt. There are windows in the middle of Ponte Vecchio that off

Located in the Church of Santa Maria del Carmine, the Brancacci Chapel is notable for its outstanding frescoes made by Masaccio and Masolino, great Italian Renaissance painters. The work on the chapel was finished by Filippino Lippi. Some of the highlights include The Temptation of Adam and Eve and

The Museo Archeologico Nazionale (The national Archaeology Museum) in Florence is housed in a 17th-century palace, containing collections of Etruscan, Roman, Greek, Egyptian artworks and everyday items. The Egyptian Museum is housed on the first floor, recently expanded with two halls dedicated to C

The Renaissance palace Palazzo Medici Riccardi was built by Michelozzo di Bartolomeo for Cosimo de' Medici between 1444 and 1484. He moved to Palazzo Vecchio in 1540, but part of the Medici family stayed here until 1659 when Ferdinando II sold it to the Riccardi family, a rich family of bankers who

The Leonardo Da Vinci Museum in Florence displays a collection of interactive machines based on the original sketches of Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci.

The Leonardo Interactive Museum in Florence displays reproductions of artworks, inventions and designs by Leonardo da Vinci.

The Bellini Museum or Galleria Luigi Bellini (Museo Bellini) is a private museum in Florence. The museum holds a collection of a dynasty of antiquarians (since the 18th century), which contains objects such as tables painted with gold from the Middle Ages, small bronzes, wooden sculptures, majolica

The Basilica di Santa Maria Novella is a basilica in Florence of which the façade was built by Leon Battista Alberti in 1470. The church contains the fresco The Holy Trinity of Masaccio. Annexed to it are the buildings of the convent, with three monumental cloisters. The Green Cloister, the Spanish

The Basilica di Santa Croce is one of the most important churches of Florence and is considered one of the most beautiful Gothic basilicas of Italy. It is the largest Franciscan church in the world and because of all the burial monuments inside, the church functions as the pantheon of Florence. In t

Dating back to the 14th century, this Gothic building houses the Museo del Bigallo. The collection includes both historical and religious works donated by the brotherhood Compagnia della Misericordia and most of the paintings depict their life. Furthermore, the museum displays frescoes which origina

Opened in 1965, the Dante's House museum stands on the site of a house where Dante Alighieri was born in 1265. With exhibitions spread over three floors, the museum is devoted to this great Italian writer, artist, and politician. The first floor displays document about the 13th century Florence and