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The 10 Best Art Museums in San Giovanni, Tuscany
Florence is an art historian’s dream. The Galleria dell'Accademia bursts with works by Michelangelo, who is entombed within the frescoed walls of the Basilica di Santa Croce. Budding photographers can snap pics of the Ponte Vecchio bridge, and serious shoppers can spend a blissful afternoon wandering the shops of Piazza Santo Spirito. Tuscan cuisine pays homage to the region’s bounty. Swipe a hunk of crusty bread across a pool of local olive oil and you’ll be instantly transported to your happiest place.
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1. Gallerie Degli Uffizi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 37,499 reviews
One of the great museums of the world, the Uffizi houses the premier collection of Italian Renaissance art, featuring works by such masters as Botticelli, Titian, Michelangelo and da Vinci.
Reviewed By sanju_222323 - New Jersey, United States
If art interests you, then Uffizi Gallery is one place that you should not miss on your Florence tour. It is one of the most interesting places to visit in Florence, Italy. Situated in the Piazza Della Signoria, it can be covered together with the L shaped beautiful square. With the world’s preeminent collection of Renaissance paintings from artists such as Botticelli, Raphael, Da Vinci and more, this is the obvious go-to museum for one day in Florence. However, it’s also enormous, with 101 rooms bursting with art. it still displays the Medici family's prominent art collection, which includes such masterpieces as Botticelli's "Birth of Venus," Raphael's "Madonna of the Goldfinch" and Titian's "Venus of Urbino." *** The 10 Most Important Artworks at The Uffizi Gallery ( just so that you don’t miss this, I did miss a few and found out when I was reading about it) The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli Coronation of the Virgin by Fra Angelico Laocoön and his Sons by Baccio Bandinelli Madonna with the Long Neck by Parmigianino Portrait of Pope Leo X with Two Cardinals by Raphael Head of Christ by Unknown Tuscan Master Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea del Verrocchio Medusa by Caravaggio Doni Tondo by Michelangelo Venus of Urbino by Titian It houses a collection of awesome Renaissance time paintings of Botticelli, Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Giotto, and Michelangelo to name a few. A minimum of 2-3 hours is needed to explore all the paintings and sculptures. Don’t miss the courtyard outside. It houses statues of Galileo, Dante, Da Vinci and other greatest of Renaissance times. Online Reservation of tickets is available and I suggest buy skip the line ticket. This is a must-visit place in Florence and it will easily take 4-6 hours. Just to know Uffizi's place is among the handful of world's top art museums. So don’t regret if you come across something and think, S**t, I was there, why I did not see this.
2. Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,355 reviews
For preservation purposes, many significant works have been moved from the Duomo to this nearby museum.
Reviewed By PRS48 - Brisbane, Australia
Not to be missed! The main room on the ground floor contains Ghiberti's original bronze doors of the baptistery as well as the statues which adorned the medieval facade of the cathedral. A visit here is a logical step after seeing the interior of the Duomo and the museum has relatively short queues, especially as it opens at 9 a.m.
3. Palazzo Strozzi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 927 reviews
The Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi is a dynamic cultural centre that hosts an extensive programme of exhibitions, ranging from ancient art and the Renaissance right up to the modern era and contempoary art, on the Piano Nobile and in the Strozzina of what is one of the unquestioned masterpieces of Florentine Renaissance architecture. Life in the Palazzo revolves around its Renaissance courtyard, which is used as a venue for concerts, performance art, contemporary art installations, theatrical performances and a great deal more. The educational programmes and collateral activities designed to tie in with each exhibition make Palazzo Strozzi a unique experience that engages every single visitor, with a special emphasis on young people, families and children, thus connecting the Palazzo with Florence and with the whole of Tuscany.
Reviewed By asiyahnoemik - Pula, Croatia
Palazzo Strozzi is a perfect example of the ideals of a noble Renaissance residence, and the complex appears as if a small fortress in the heart of the city, a specific request made by Filippo Strozzi himself. The Strozzi family, undoubtedly one of the richest Florentine families until it was exiled from Florence in 1434, suffered through many political and financial competitions with the Medici family. After their exile, Filippo Strozzi worked to accumulate the funds which allowed him to regain his powerful position and re-enter the city of Florence. In 1466, he came back with a mission...squash his rivals...with a vengeance. Once within the walls of the city, his first step was to build a home that would be a physical representation of his power and wealth, more noticeable, more prestigious and...just plain bigger than everyone else's, especially that of the Medici family. Its construction began in 1489 under the direction of Simone del Pollaiolo, known as Il Cronaca, on the orders of Filippo Strozzi. The appearance of the palace is similar to a small fortress built to a rectangular plan with three floors. Though much restructured internally, it is possible to still appreciate the original plan and beauty of the exterior and in the courtyard of the building. The construction was finished in 1538 and stayed in the Strozzi family until 1937, when the last heir passed away. Since the Second World War the Palazzo has been Florence's largest temporary exhibition space hosting modern and contemporary art shows. The building is today one of the most important museums in the city: the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi organizes a varied and innovative program of exhibitions, events and special activities. Perhaps the most memorable exhibits include The Peggy Guggenheim (1949 and recently repeated in 2016), Gustav Klimt (1992), Botticelli and Filippino Lippi (who was the most visited exhibition in Italy in 2004), and Cézanne in Florence (the most visited exhibition in Italy in 2007). The Palazzo Strozzi now hosts three major exhibitions annually, and there is one permanent exhibition which concentrates on the history of Palazzo Strozzi. In those days of our visit we were able to enjoy the exhibition of Natalia Goncharova with Gauguin, Matisse and Picasso.
4. Museo Nazionale del Bargello
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,996 reviews
Housed in the Palazzo del Podesta (1255 AD) as the residence of Florence's chief magistrate, this museum houses an unrivalled collection of Italian Renaissance sculpture..
Reviewed By Odyssey54128356707
I teach in Montepulciano on a study abroad program from the University System of Georgia, headquartered and administered by my home campus, Kennesaw State University, on a fairly regular basis, and Florence is one of our destinations. I am an art historian with a BA in Renaissance and Baroque painting and sculpture, so unlike most of my colleagues, I always want to take my students on a side trip to the Bargello to see the original Baptistery Doors competition panels of Brunelleschi and Ghiberti, Donatello's David, Giambologna's Mercury and some lesser known Michleangelo reliefs and other sculptures. They are always thrilled to do so, as am I. I recommend a visit to the Museo Nazionale dei Bargello to anyone visiting Florence.
5. Church and Museum of Orsanmichele
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 981 reviews
This extraordinary structure testifies to the historic evolution of the city, which once served as a granary in the gardens of the Sisters of San Michele during Florence's mercantile period.
Reviewed By artmac21 - Inverness, United Kingdom
This was my last stop in Florence and I am so glad I went in. The church is small but has the most beautiful tarbancle I’ve ever seen. It’s very quiet and peaceful and has some art. I went onto the museum which houses the original statues, that you see outside in the niches. They are stunning and worth viewing, especially the four crowned saints which is so detailed you can see the stubble! Finally, the upper floor has the most stunning views of Florence, giving you a panorama of the city, with the Duomo to one side and the Palazzo Vecchio to another. I didn’t climb the Duomo as both the heat and the wait seemed too much. This was such a delight. It was quiet and the stairs are manageable, although still a hike. I was so pleased I had left this to last as it did allow me to see Florence in all its glory. An unexpected delight.
6. Collezione Contini Bonacossi
7. Collezione Roberto Casamonti
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 21 reviews
8. Incredible Florence - Multimedia time machine experience
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 53 reviews
Incredible Florence is an unprecedented journey through the 2000 years of Florence's history. An exciting, 40-minute-long multimedia production, conceived and produced by Crossmedia Group. In the unparalleled setting of Santo Stefano al Ponte, near to Ponte Vecchio, an immersive experience that is at once show and exhibition: the engrossing story of Florentine places, events, and great historical figures with their immotal works, becomes a unique opportunity to better know, understand and share as never before the incredible history of a city that is both a masterpiece and a world heritage site. Rich in special effects, 3-D reconstructions, multiple projections of images, and original filmed pieces, Incredible Florence gives audiences of all ages and origins, Italian and international, the opportunity to let themselves be led through the centuries, following a succession of different sensations. The exhibition area offers a complete and immersive use of multimedia, made possible by the exceptional visual impact of the images produced by the Matrix X-Dimension system, designed exclusively for this video installation. 24 laser projectors transmit over 40 million pixels onto the 11 giant screens of the impressive and striking set-up: just think that on the central and largest screen - 10x13m. (130 m2) - you will be able to enjoy a resolution 6 times greater than Full HD. The pleasant impression of the privileged experience of "being inside" a unique history is completed by the sound effects and the magnificent original soundtrack, composed for this purpose by the versatile musician Marco Lamioni, reproduced in extremely high quality by a state-of-the-art 3D audio system.
9. Museo della Misericordia di Firenze
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 29 reviews
The Misericordia was born when the Dominican Pietro da Verona, arrived in Florence to fight the heretic patari. Citizens ‘companies were formed – the Companies of the Faith – which in a few months were the opponents’ right. At that point, laid down the sword, those same men cradled the rosary to devote themselves to works of mercy. And so, almost 8 centuries ago, an Institution was set up that put itself concretely at the service of the neighbor and became an example of boundless charity, inspiring the birth of numerous sisters: today there are 700 Misericordia in Italy in the world. The role played by the Florentine association, as shown by numerous archival documents, became more and more a social service. So that its history went to intertwine, firmly, with that of the city that was its cradle. Several times the Medici, the Lorraine, but also the now united Italy, turned to the Misericordia to solve problems of a collective nature.
Reviewed By amw4
We accidentally wandered here, thinking that we were going to another museum (Our Italian isn't that great!) and are happy that we did. We got a wonderful history lesson on the charitable work that has taken place in Florence (anonymously) for centuries during plagues, wars and other disasters. The museum had recently been renovated and we seemed to be the only visitors, but if you're interested in learning more about this beautiful city, give yourself an hour or so and enjoy the beautifully displayed artifacts of this association. It'll give you a different perspective of the way some people of means and education actually respected and cared for the poor. Another perk on a hot summer day is the air conditioning!
