Bargello

Built in 1255, Bargello was the first seat of Florence's city government. It later saw use as a police station (from whence it received the name Bargello, or Chief of Police) and as a prison. In 1865 it opened as a museum which specialized in Renaissance sculpture. It centers around a courtyard and exhibition halls on the ground and first floors. Perhaps the most famous resident of Bargello is Donatello's David. It also contains important sculptures by Giambologna (Mercury) as well as Michelangelo's Bacchus. Bargello also has an impressive display of paintings and decorative arts, most notably the ceramics of Andre Della Robbia. Rounding out the Bargella's holdings are displays of Renaissance bronzes, Italian medals, and an arms room with guns and armor of the period. With its airy courtyard, Bargello offers Renaissance sculpture in a pleasant setting

Highlights of the Bargello [Click on Photos to Enlarge, Hit Browser "Back" Arrow to Return to this Page]
1401 Competition Panels for the Battistero by Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti	St. George Slaying the Dragon sculpture and panel by Donatello	David by Donatello	Bacchus by Michelangelo
Pitti Tondo by Michelangelo	Mercury by Giambologna	Adoration of the Child ceramic by Andre Della Robbia	Bust of a Boy ceramic by Andrea Della Robbia