Museo Nazionale del Bargello

Florence's finest collection of Renaissance sculpture

The Museo Nazionale del Bargello (Bargello Museum) holds the world's most important collection of Italian Renaissance sculpture, and yet it remains unknown to many visitors. That's exactly what makes it the calm counterpart to the crowded Uffizi and the Galleria dell'Accademia: if you want to understand Florence in marble and bronze, you'll find the same great names here as next door in painting, just without the queue.

The collection brings together works by Donatello, Verrocchio, Luca della Robbia, Michelangelo, Giambologna, Cellini, Brunelleschi, Bertoldo and Pollaiuolo, alongside extensive holdings of arms and armour, ivories, maiolica, enamels and medals. It's less a single icon than a dense network of first-rate pieces, the real key to understanding Florentine sculpture of the 15th and 16th centuries.

From the Podestà's palace to a national museum

The building itself is a highlight in its own right. The imposing palazzo was founded in 1255 and is Florence's oldest public building. It first served as the seat of the Podestà, the city's chief magistrate, and later as the headquarters of the Bargello, the chief of police, from whom the building takes its present name. For centuries it served as a prison and place of execution; it only opened as Italy's first national museum in 1865.

The centrepiece is the courtyard, with its open external staircase and surrounding loggias, their walls studded with the coats of arms of former Podestà. From here the galleries spread across several floors, a visit inevitably traces the building's history from medieval seat of power to museum.

What to expect

The collection is arranged across several floors in thematically organised rooms. The key stops:

• The Salone di Donatello, the building's central hall: here stands Donatello's bronze David, the first freestanding nude statue since antiquity and a key work of the entire Renaissance, alongside other major works by the sculptor.
• The Sala di Michelangelo, with the youthful Bacchus and other early works by the artist, who appears here in a very different guise from the David in the Accademia.
• The Sala del Verrocchio, dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci's teacher, plus rooms of work by Giambologna and Baroque sculpture.
• The brightly glazed terracottas of the Della Robbia rooms - Luca, Andrea and Giovanni della Robbia, with their characteristic blue-and-white Madonnas and reliefs.
• The decorative arts collections: the ivory, maiolica and medal rooms, often overlooked but of European importance.

A piece of art history in its own right is the pair of competing bronze reliefs of the Sacrifice of Isaac by Brunelleschi and Ghiberti, the trial pieces from the 1401 competition for the second bronze door of the Baptistery, often regarded as the starting point of Renaissance sculpture. Both hang here side by side for direct comparison.

Opening hours & admission

The Bargello is run by the Musei del Bargello and is open Tuesday to Sunday, 8:15 to 18:50, closed on Mondays. Last entry is 50 minutes before closing, so around 18:00. Come early and you'll often have the rooms largely to yourself.

Full price is €12, reduced admission for EU citizens aged 18 to 25 is €2, and entry is free up to your 18th birthday. The museum is also free on the first Sunday of every month, as well as on 25 April, 2 June and 4 November. If you're planning to see several sites, the 72-hour combined ticket at €38 works out cheaper; it covers all five Bargello museums, including Orsanmichele, the Accademia and the Medici Chapels. Advance booking isn't necessary, the Bargello is rarely crowded and has no timed-entry system. If you'd still rather book ahead, use B-ticket, the only officially authorised provider, for a €3 surcharge.

Photography without a flash, tripod or touching the exhibits is permitted for non-commercial use; selfie sticks are banned.

Visiting & getting there

Allow 1 to 1.5 hours for a visit, enough to take in the highlights without rushing. The Bargello sits in the Santa Croce district on Via del Proconsolo, just a few steps from the Piazza della Signoria and the Palazzo Vecchio; the Basilica di Santa Croce is also an easy walk away. That makes the museum an easy fit for a day exploring the eastern old town.

A natural pairing is a visit to the nearby Orsanmichele, whose original sculptures are also cared for by the Musei del Bargello, the combined ticket is worth it for both. If you're especially interested in Renaissance sculpture, our art guide has further background; tips on booking ahead are in the ticket guide, and for getting around the old town on foot, see the transport guide.