Reliving the Renaissance in the Museums of Florence

If any city in the world should be expected to have a vibrant museum scene, than Florence, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance would be it. And the city does not disappoint. The most politically, economically and culturally important city in Europe for over two centuries – and the two centuries that mattered – Florence gave us Michelangelo, Donatello, Dante, Boccaccio, Botticelli, Galileo, Machiavelli and Amerigo Vespucci, the mapmaker whose name graces the entire western hemisphere. Even the term “Dark Ages” was invented by the Florentine Petrarch, and Florence is where that little thing known as opera was invented. The best thing about present-day Florence is how much of Renaissance Florence is still there, in everything from its architecture to its museums, which is where we’ll be going today.

Galleria degli Uffizi

Starting with the obvious, we go to the Galleria degli Uffizi, or just the Uffizi. Set in a 1560 palace built for Cosimo I de’ Medici himself, this is one of the world’s greatest and most famous museums. Be assured that you will find yourself standing in line here, especially if you visit in the summer. But be assured that it will be worth it. Here you’ll find such iconic paintings as Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus and the Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci. Here you’ll find important works by Dürer (The Adoration of the Magi), Caravaggio (Bacchus, The Sacrifice of Isaac, Medusa), Rembrandt Van Rijn (Self-portrait as a Young Man, Self-portrait as an Old Man) and Titian (Flora, Venus of Urbino). With the gorgeous painted and sculpted ceilings, there is no direction you can look and not be overwhelmed by the beauty of the place. Even the caffè has a large balcony overlooking the main piazza with views of the Palazzo Vecchio.

The Bargello National Museum

What the Uffizi is to painting, the Bargello National Museum is to sculpture. Once a barracks and a prison, the name Bargello means “fortified tower” (think “burg” in German) and you’ll see why when you’re blocks away. Featuring some of the best examples of Renaissance sculpture, the Bargello features the work of Michelangelo and Donatello, as well as Ammannati, Andrea and Jacopo Sansovino, Desiderio da Settignano and Antonio Rossellino. And though everyone comes to Florence to see Michelangelo’s David, the Donatello version found here is also worth seeing. The building itself is as much of an attraction as the artwork. Originally known as the Palazzo del Podestà, this austere edifice dates back to well before the Renaissance and is the oldest public building in the city of Florence.

Galleria dell’Accademia

Yes, this is where you’ll find Michelangelo’s David. The real thing, not like the copy in Las Vegas’s Caesar’s Palace. Again, you may be standing in line for at least an hour. Here you’ll also find Michelangelo’s unfinished Prisoners, intended for the tomb of Pope Julius II, as well as Giambologna’s original plaster for the Rape of the Sabine Women. Part of the Accademia di Belle Arti, which has been around since the year 1563, the Galleria dell’Accademia was created in the 19th century to be a Michelangelo Museum. And though there is a small collection of his work, like the Pietà discovered in the Barberini Chapel in Palestrina in 1939, you can also find work by other artists from the 15th and 16th century. There are paintings by Paolo Uccello, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Sandro Botticelli and Andrea del Sarto and a collection of Russian icons once belonging to the Grand Dukes of the House of Lorraine.

Museo dell’Opera del Duomo

One of the most prominent features of the Florence skyline is the Cathedral, known as the Duomo. And if visiting the Cathedral itself leaves you wanting more, you have only to go to the rear of the Cathedral to discover the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. Created in 1891 by Luigi del Moro, the designer of the city’s opera house, this museum is one of Italy’s most important Church museums. The museum features a second version of Michelangelo’s Pietà, different from the one in Saint Peter’s Basilica. There are also models and drawings used to build the Cathedral, as well as many works of art originally outside at Santa Maria del Fiore, the Baptistery and the Campanile that have been moved inside for the sake of preservation.

Museo Galileo

If you’ve had enough art and you’re ready for some science, then welcome to the Museo Galileo. The museum was founded by the University of Florence in 1927 in the Palazzo Castellani in this wonderful spot by the River Arno Previously known as the Institute and Museum of the History of Science, the Museo Galileo presents a fascinating collection of scientific instruments spanning the ages. You can see a wonderful sampling of maps in the Spheres and Globes room, and the room of Galileo Galilei displays some of the Galileo’s actual instruments. But the exhibit that makes the Museo Galileo truly unique has to be the middle finger of Galileo’s right hand, which was, for some odd reason, removed when his body when it was transported to a new burial spot on March 12, 1737.

Hotels

Originally built as an Augustine convent way back in the 13th century, the Hotel Degli Orafi now provides the services and comforts of a four-star hotel. Set in the heart of the city, the hotel is on the prestigious Lungarno Archibusieri, right next to the Museo Galileo and a block from the Galleria degli Uffizi.

If you’re looking for more intimate accommodation, the three-star Palazzo Ruspoli – B&B features just 14 guest rooms located near the Cathedral and the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo. All boast excellent city or courtyard views.

The three-star Morandi alla Crocetta is also set in a historic convent. Not only is it just a few steps from the Accademia di Belle Arti and its Galleria dell’Accademia (home to the David statue), but it’s also next to the Archeological Museum, and is the Academy of Fine Arts.

There are many other Florence hotels to suit every taste and price range.