11 Best Museums in Florence
Takeaways
Florence is filled with world-class art, history, and architectural museums. This article highlights the 11 best museums in Florence, to make your trip memorable.
Florence is an artistic and cultural city and is the capital of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is home to many wonders of Renaissance art and architecture. The most iconic sights are the Duomo, a cathedral with a terracotta-tiled dome which was engineered by Brunelleschi and a bell tower by Giotto. Michelangelo’s ‘David’ sculpture is displayed in the gallery dell ‘Academia. Botticelli’s ‘The birth of Venus’ and Da Vinci’s ‘Annunciation’ is showcased in the Uffizi gallery.
Whether you are into art, want to learn more about the history of the city or the architecture, Florence has something that suits all tastes. This article includes 11 best museums in Florence, so you do not miss out on the wonderful art and history this spectacular city as to offer, and to make your trip memorable.
Best Museums in Florence
The galleria dell ‘Academia is a world-class art museum. It is one of the best art museums to visit in Florence, Italy because it dates back to 1784 and showcases art masterpieces including Michelangelo’s ‘David’ sculpture, the most famous sculpture in the world. It was constructed and designed by the architect Emilio De Fabris after being kept in a wooden box for nine years. The museum displays different exhibitions and events throughout the year including night at the museums, study days, national landscape days and art between market and music. Tickets to the museum cost 12 euros.
The Uffizi gallery is a prestigious art museum located in Piazza Della Signoria in the historic centre of Florence. It is one of the best museums in Florence because it is one of the most famous museums in the world as it is known for its remarkable collections of paintings and ancient sculptures from the middle ages to modern times including Botticelli’s ‘The birth of Venus’ and Da Vinci’s ‘Annunciation’. The collections of paintings from the 14th century and the renaissance era showcase some of the most famous masterpieces of all time including work from Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raffaello, Giotto, Simone Martini and Botticelli as well as European paintings.
At the entrance, you are welcome to pick up an audio guide which is available in several languages if you want to learn more about the art collections and it costs 6 euros or there is a bookshop if you prefer a visual guide. This museum is huge so why not take a coffee break in the coffee shop on the second floor and admire the panoramic terrace? Admission costs 20 euros for the whole museum.
If you are into history and archaeology, you will love exploring the National Archaeological museum, one of the oldest museums in Italy. It is one of the best museums in Florence because not only does it display collections of art, artifacts, and history responsible for a European occurrence, it also displays exhibits from other cultures such as the Paleoveneti, Villanoviani, Anatolia , the high middle ages, and the renaissance era. Tickets cost 8 euros including the exhibition hall.
Spread over 6,000 square metres and divided into 28 rooms over three floors is the museum of the opera del duomo. It was renovated in 2015 and is now considered to be one of the most important museums in the world for its value and the number of art masterpieces, making it one of the best museums in Florence. It is a wonderful setting which focuses on faith, history, and art with roots of Western culture. It has also been known to be an educational path to the discovery of the artists who gave life to the renaissance. Original works of art are preserved here that have decorated its monuments over seven centuries.
The Palazzo Vecchio is the symbol of Florence and was government building for many centuries. It is one of the best museums to visit in Florence, Italy because it represents the phases of history and art in this spectacular city. The museum hold the remains of the Roman theatre preserved in the subsoil, as well as the rooms of the monumental quarters which were decorated by famous artists during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. There are also stunning views of the walkway and tower. Extraordinary pieces of art are displayed in this museum including Michelangelo’s ‘Genius of Victory’, Donatello’s ‘Judith’ and Bronzino’s paintings in Eleanora’s chapel. The museum provides educational activities and guided tours. Tickets can be bought online or at the entrance.
The Salvatore Ferragamo museum was founded in 1995 by the Ferragamo family because they wanted to showcase the artistic creations of Salvatore Ferragamo and his role in the history of fashion and footwear. It is known to be one of the best fashion museums in Florence because it stems from the vision of an entrepreneur. Since opening, the museum has hosted several exhibitions which represent the history of Salvatore and which expresses the interest of the company through various artistic languages, ranging from design to fashion, as a means to communicate for the circulation of style of living and dressing. Tickets cost 8 euros and free guided tours are offered. There is also free entrance on the first Sunday of the month.
This museum occupies part of a Dominican convent of San Marco and was built between 1437 and 1443. It is one of the best museums in Florence because it holds one of the largest art collections in the world including work by one of the greatest painters during the early renaissance, Beato Angelico. He lived in the convent between 1438 and 1445. The museum includes spaces throughout the convent such as the refectory rooms, the chapter room, the hospice room, the arcade of Sant’Antonio and the monk’s cells. Famous paintings displayed in the museum include the renaissance painting ‘the deposition’, ‘the San Marco altarpiece’, ‘the annunciation’, and the ‘Madonna with a child’.
The convent was declared a statue of national importance in 1869 and was partly converted into a museum. The works on wood were collected here in the twenties of the last century, and the frescoes decorated on the monk’s cells on the second floor were created by Beato Angelico between 1438 and 1445. Tickets to the museum cost 8 euros.
This museum is a hidden gem located on the outskirts of Florence. It was created by Frederick Stibbert who gave away his villa, gardens, and his treasures to the city of Florence. Fredericks’s mother was Italian, and his father was English, he was born in Florence but educated in England. He came from a military family where is grandfather was a governor general in Bengal, India and his father was a colonel for the well-respected Coldstream guards. Frederick inherited the wealth of his family when he was just 20 years old.
The museum is one of the best museums in Florence because it is managed by a foundation which Frederick set up and left to the city of Florence in his will. It now displays armour from the Middle East and Japan, artwork, and furniture. The great hall has been redesigned into an army with horses in battle armour and includes the most precious possession of the whole collection which is the cloak that Napoleon wore when he was coronated. A perfect museum for history enthusiasts and for the education of young people. Admission to the museum is only 6 euros.
This gallery is located in a renaissance palace of the reigning family and was opened to the public by the House of Lorraine in 1828. It is one of the best museums in Florence because of its luxurious interior decoration and world class art collection including paintings collected by the Medici dynasty such as a portrait of a man and Magdalene by Titian and the Madonna of the Grand Duke. The museum also displays a full view of the 17th century European painting which showcase world-famous paintings of Rubens (the four philosophers) and portraits by Giusto Sustermans which portray the personalities of the grand ducal family. Tickets cost 16 euros.
The museum of Fashion and costume is located in the Palazzina Della Meridiana. The museum began being built by architect Gaspero Maria Paoletti in 1776 and was completed by Pasquale Pocciani in 1830. It is one of the best museums in Florence because it is known to be one of the first Italian state museums to represent the history of fashion and social value. It is a perfect place to visit for history and fashion lovers as the exhibition includes clothes and fashion accessories from the 18th century to the present such as underwear, jewellery and costume jewellery and an interesting collection of stage clothes from famous films, plays and opera which have been worn by international stars of entertainment and cinema, and have been signed by the greatest directors of the 20th century. The museum also displays sixteenth century funeral clothes from Don Garzia, Cosimo I de ‘Medici and Eleanora di Toledo.
The Leonardo Da Vinci Museum is located in the heart of Florence in a historical building. It is one of the best museums in Florence because it is dedicated to the work of one of the most famous Italian artists of all time. The museum has interactive machines which showcase working models that have been hand-made using Da Vinci’s original drawings. This profession has formed an important part of Tuscan artisan heritage since the 1960s. This iconic museum hosts educational workshops which allow young people to learn about physics and mechanics in a fun and engaging way. Guidebooks are offered in several languages and educational tours and services can also be provided for school children, families, and the general public. You will not want to miss this museum if you are a fan of Leonardo’s famous and well-respected work.
Florence is an ancient city which dates back to the renaissance period. It is rich in history, art, fashion, and culture. It is full of museums which hold collections of world-famous art, fashion, history, and archaeology. This article covers some of the best museums in Florence to make your trip unforgettable. Admire the work of the world’s greatest artists and learn about the history of Florence and Italy. You will not want to miss these museums.