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Florence By Area >> Oltrarno

Museums and Galleries

Cenacolo di Santo Spirito

Piazza di Santo Spirito 29.
Tel. 055 28 70 43

Open: Apr-Nov: 9am-5pm Tue-Sun; Dec-Mar: 10:30am-1:30pm Sat.
Closed: 1st Jan, Easter Sun, 1st May, 15th Aug, 25th Dec.

All that survives of the monastery that stood next to Santo Spirito is the refectory (cenacolo), now a small museum. Inside is a fresco, The Crucifixion (1360-65), attributed to the followers of Andrea Orcagna and his brother Nardo di Cione. In a city that has a wealth of Renaissance art, this is a rare and beautiful example of High Gothic religious work.

The Fondazione Salvatore Romano, a collection of 11th century Romanesque sculpture, is displayed in the refectory.

Museo Bardini

Piazza de' Mozzi 1.
Tel. 055 234 24 27

Closed for restoration- call for further information.

Stefano Bardini was a 19th century antiquarian and avid collector of architectural materials- mostly salvaged from the churches and palazzi demolished when the Piazza della Repubblica was built in the 1860's. In 1883 he built his palazzo in Piazza de' Mozzi almost entirely from recycled medieval and Renaissance masonry, including carved doorways, chimney pieces and staircases as well as painted and coffered ceilings.
The rooms are full of sculpture, statues, paintings, armour, musical instruments, ceramics and antique furnishings. In 1922 this collection of antiquities was bequeathed to the people of Florence.

Museo "La Specola"

Via Romana 17.
Tel. 055 22 88 251

Open: 9am-1pm Sun-Tue, Thu, Fri; 9am-5pm Sat.
Closed: Public holidays.

This unusual museum is in the Palazzo Rottigiani, built in 1775 and now used by the natural science faculty of Florence University. The name "la Specola" refers to the observatory built on the roof of the building by Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo in the late 18th century. It now contains the museum, which has a zoological section exhibiting vast numbers of preserved animals, insects and fish, and an anatomical section with some extremely realistic 18th century wax models showing various grotesque aspects of human physiology and disease.

Palazzo Pitti

Piazza Pitti.
Tel. 055 294 883

Palatine Gallery & Royal Apartments Open: 8:15am-6:50pm Tue-Sun.
Closed: 1st Jan, 1st May, 25th Dec.

Galleria d'Arte Moderna, Galleria del Costume, Museo degli Argenti & Museo delle Porcellane (enter via Boboli Gardens).
Open: 8:15am-1:50pm daily.
Closed: 2nd & 4th Sun and 1st , 3rd & 5th Mon of the month & public holidays.

Ticket offices close 45minutes before the museums.

The Palazzo Pitti, begun in 1457, was originally built for the banker Luca Pitti. Its huge scale was developed into its actual shape by the Medici, who one century later bought the palazzo when building costs bankrupted Pitti's heirs. In 1550 it became the main Medici residence and subsequently all Florentine rulers lived here. Today the richly decorated rooms exhibit treasures from the Medici collections and the Habsburg-Lorraine court.

Key Features:
Palatine Gallery
The gallery contains many masterpieces, among which is the highest concentration of Raphael's paintings.
Royal Apartments
The south wing was used for ceremonial occasions and receiving ambassadors.
Museo degli Argenti
As well as silverware, the museum displays gold, stone and glassware.
Galleria D'Arte Moderna
The gallery, on the second floor of the palazzo spans the years from 1784-1924. The Tuscan Maremma (c.1850), by Giovanni Fattori, is a highlight of the collection.
Galleria del Costume
The clothes reflect changing fashion at the court of the Grand Dukes during the 18th and 19th centuries.

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