Bargello

The Courtyard

The exterior of 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
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1401 Competition Panels
St. George by Donatello
Donatello's David
Bacchus by Michelangelo
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 by Andre della Robbia
Bust of a Boy by Andrea Della Robbia
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