Bargello Museum

The Bargello Museum (Museo Nazionale del Bargello) is one of Florence’s most fascinating and historically rich museums, dedicated entirely to Renaissance sculpture and decorative arts. Housed in a former medieval palace built in the 13th century, the Bargello was once a prison and headquarters of the city’s police chief — today, it stands as a monument to Florence’s artistic power. Inside its stone walls and beautiful courtyard, visitors can admire masterpieces by Donatello, Michelangelo, Ghiberti, Cellini, Giambologna, and other great artists who shaped the golden age of Italian art. The museum proudly displays Donatello’s bronze David, one of the first freestanding male nudes since antiquity, as well as Michelangelo’s Bacchus and Brutus. Beyond sculpture, the Bargello offers collections of ivory carvings, ceramics, textiles, armor, and coins, reflecting centuries of Florentine craftsmanship. A visit to the Bargello Museum is like stepping back into the heart of the Renaissance — a quiet treasure that reveals Florence’s soul beyond its famous paintings.