Best Smaller Museums in Florence
Works by the Masters of Renaissance art on display in many museums.
Feb 6, 2007
The most popular museums in Florence are deservedly so: The Accademia and Uffizi are truly two of the best museums in the world for Renaissance works of art. A luxury vacation in Italy, however, doesn't mean simply getting to those two top museums. It's your vacation; travel at your leisure to some smaller, but also jaw-droppingly impressive art museums in Florence.
My favorite smaller Florence museums seem to never have lines, are a relative bargain, and are as steeped in Medieval and Renaissance art history as are the two "biggies." Best, tourists don't need to order tickets while still planning their Italian vacation. Those less-than-organized luxury travel fans never have to settle for just the upscale shopping and great Tuscan restaurants in Florence. As long as they're open, you can always walk right into any of these art museums.
The best smaller art museums - and my favorites - are:
- Museo Nazionale del Bargello - Now, the Accademia and Uffizi are the two top museums in Florence, but I just love the Bargello as well. The lines aren't nearly as long, since it's not on everyone's travel check list. The Bargello has many, many Renaissance era sculptures, including works by Michelangelo, and Donatello. Donatello's David is here; made in 1430, it predates Michelangelo's most famous masterpiece by nearly 75 years. The Bargello museum has different external architecture than a tourist may expect: It's housed in the 13th century jail and police headquarters, and looks a bit intimidating. Art history fans will appreciate watching the evolution of sculpture from late Gothic to Renaissance styles.
- Museo degli Argenti - This is the Medici Treasury. The Medicis were a prominent philanthropic family throughout much of Florence's history (with their share of intrigue as well). The Argenti is home to the Medici family's enormous collection of jewelry, clocks, vases and more. It's a lot of fancy stuff, and the museum rooms are themselves works of art; 17th century frescoes decorate the walls. I really enjoyed seeing all those cameos and necklaces, imagining them being worn by member of a family so important to the progression of Renaissance ideals. The artisanal stone vases are equally impressive.
- Museo dell'Opera del Duomo - The museum of Il Duomo is quiet and uncrowded, which I found surprising because every trip to Florence includes at LEAST an external tour of the Duomo itself. Leisure travel to Florence often turns into an art history tour, and when one becomes acquainted with the history that went into the architecture of the Duomo, a visit to this museum really completes the experience. What can I say? I love the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. It's chock full of sculptures that were once in the Duomo, including works be Michelangelo, Donatello and di Cambio. The sweep of history is really felt here - as well as most of historic Italy, of course. The museum was once home to storage for the nearby workshops of all the architects and artists involved in the construction of the Duomo. I rounded a corner, and without prior knowledge found myself face-to-face with Michelangelo's second Pieta. Nicodemus' expression is so sad - and it's believed to be a self-portrait of Michelangelo himself. That's a moment I'll never forget.
- Galleria Palatina & the Appartamenti Monumentali - This is the most important of the several museums housed in Palazzo Pitti. It's unbelievably ornate, with frescoed walls, damask covered walls, elaborately painted ceilings, etc. The wealth of the Medici family is really on display in this museum. The Medicis had apartments here, purchased from the Pitti family when the latter went bankrupt. There are major works of art in the Palatina as well; masterpieces by Caravaggio, Rubens, Titian, Raphael and other great masters adorn the walls.
There is also an archeological museum, the Museo Archeologico. I didn't get a chance to visit this museum in Florence, unfortunately, but I understand it has a collection of Egyptian artifacts that rivals that of the Met in NYC. Further, the Museo di Storia della Scienza has displays that show how the Renaissance era was as important for the advancement of science as it was for art (Galileo's first telescopes are here).
There are even more museums in Florence than I've listed, or seen. These museums are nearly always quiet and have no lines since - as previously mentioned - all the leisure travelers seem to go stand on line for the Accademia and Uffizi. It's a shame they miss such awe-inspiring, less famous museums such as that of the Duomo, Argenti and Bargello. In any other city, they would be the major draw.
Related, on Suite 101:
The Two Best Museums in Florence
Famous Architecture in Florence
Luxury Hotels in Florence, Italy
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