Florence is the center of the Italian Renaissance, for most visitors it is like an open-air museum. The market squares and the buildings themselves are a testament to the history of architecture and past eras. Cathedrals, churches and many palaces were designed, built and decorated by many of the most celebrated artists of the day, from Brunelleschi to Michelangelo. Which museum in Florence should you visit first?
Heart of the Italian Renaissance
The wonders of this city are treasured in fabulous museums, each displaying a different piece of Italian art, history and culture. It is an inexhaustible source of knowledge and beauty. How not to get lost in the endless world of Florentine art and fully enjoy this city and its sights? Here are some of the museums that will leave no one indifferent.
Leonardo da Vinci Museum
In Florence you can visit a wonderful and informative exhibition dedicated to the universal genius of Leonardo da Vinci. It is impressive andan unusual work, where real machines and mechanisms invented by the great scientist were reproduced in all details. Everything is made of wood and, most surprisingly, it works. There are exhibits that are even allowed to be touched, such as using a rotating model of a crane, as well as other things invented by da Vinci. Many models are presented interactively - oil press, rolling mill, odometer, theater machine, hydraulic saw, anemometer, anemoscope, hygrometer, Leonardo's parachute and more.
Uffizi Gallery
Another well-known museum in Florence is the Uffizi Gallery, which displays a rich variety of unique masterpieces and works of art, most of which date back to the Renaissance. These are the works of such great Italian artists as Botticelli, Giotto, Cimabue, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and others. Most of the work dates back to the period between the 12th and 17th centuries. The Uffizi Gallery is a must-see for art aficionados, visited by millions of tourists from all over the world every year, the long queues at the entrance to the museum are almost as famous as its masterpieces. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 8.15 to 18.50, the ticket price is 9.5 euros (6.25 for European citizens over 18 and under 25).
Bargello National Museum
One of the oldest and most beautiful buildings in the city houses the Bargello National Museum (Florence), whose construction began in1255. It was originally the residence of the Spy Police Chief, after whom it got its name. The building began to be used as the National Museum in the middle of the 19th century. What the Uffizi offers in painting, the Bargello offers in sculpture, the courtyard and the interiors contain some masterpieces of the Tuscan Renaissance by such masters as Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Cellini, Giambologna and Donatello. Here are priceless exhibits of ivory, gems, tapestries and weapons. Opening hours: daily from 8.15 to 13.50, the ticket costs 4 euros.
Museum San Marco
Florence's San Marco Art Museum is worth a visit for its architectural value. It consists of a former Dominican monastery, restored and enlarged to its current size for Cosimo the Elder Medici by his favorite architect Michelozzo (1396-1472). This building was a place of fervent religious activity and is associated with such prominent personalities as Beato Angelico (1400-1450) and later Gerolamo Savonarola. The museum has very beautiful frescoes, including The Last Supper (Ghirlandaio) from the late 15th century, as well as a fine range of manuscripts. Opening hours: Monday-Friday - from 8.15 to 13.50, Saturday and Sunday - from 8.15 to 18.50. The ticket price is 7 euros.
Museum of the History of Science
The Museum of the History of Science houses a large collection of instruments in carefully arranged layouts that prove that Florence's interest in science since the 13th century has been as great asto art. The Medici and Lorraine were very interested in the natural sciences, physics and mathematics, which led them to collect precious and visually beautiful instruments along with paintings and other art objects. It is known that Francesco Medici contributed to various scientific and artistic research in the grand ducal workshops, and members of the Medici family in the 17th century defended and personally supervised experiments in physics. The original scientific instruments used by Galileo Galilei are very important. Ticket price - 6.5 euros.
Dante's House Museum
One of the greatest Italian poets and the father of the Italian language is considered to be Dante Alighieri, born in 1265 in Florence and baptized in the Baptistery of San Giovanni. His most famous masterpiece is The Divine Comedy. The corner of the street where the house-museum of Dante in Florence is located still retains its medieval charm. It was recreated in 1965 on the occasion of the seventh centenary of the birth of the poet, whose portrait is engraved on the square in front of the house.
In the nearby church of Santa Maria, Dante met Beatrice Portinari, the woman he loved and who became the protagonist of the Divine Comedy. She was also dedicated to the collection of poems "New Life". The museum is open (from October 1 to March 31) from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm, Monday is a day off. From April 1 to September 30, open from 10 am to 6 pm. One ticket costs 4 euros,for children aged 7 to 12 - 2 euros. Free admission is provided to children under the age of 7, people with disabilities and their assistants, accompanied by a guide. Ticket prices may vary during special events or themed exhibitions.
There are many places in this wonderful Italian city that you can admire from the outside for free. But in order to see most of the cultural and historical treasures, you need to go indoors and visit at least one museum in Florence. There you can find paintings, sculptures and murals created by the greatest minds of all times and peoples.
