Orsanmichele in Florence reopens to the public after 400 days

Orsanmichele-in-Florence-has-reopened

The Orsanmichele Complex, reopens to the public in a renewed setting.

Orsanmichele, the city’s former monastery and grain store, has reopened its doors to the public, unveiling a completely renewed appearance after a total of 400 days of closure: the museum had been closed since December 12, 2022, and the church since January 16, 2023.

After just over a year, this historic complex, an integral part of the Bargello Museums, directed until today by Paola D’Agostino, is once again accessible.

The Best of Florence Tour

Experience the best of Florence on this guided tour of the city center. Our guide will take you to some of the most important spots where the greatest minds and artists have stood and been inspired: Piazza della Signoria, the Duomo, the Baptistery, Santa Trinita and Orsanmichele Church, Pontevecchio Bridge, and much more.

The restoration of the Orsanmichele complex

Orsanmichele-in-Florence

One of the features that immortalizes the beauty of Orsanmichele is the presence of 14 niches on its facades, each “inhabited” by the statue of one or more saints. The restoration project arose from the need to reconsider the relationship between the statues and the viewer, a concept the ancient masters had conceived with their placement two meters above the ground.

In the new setup on the first floor, the 13 original statues by some of the greatest sculptors of the Florentine Renaissance, such as Lorenzo Ghiberti, Baccio da Monteplupo, Donatello, Andrea del Verrocchio, and Giambologna, have found a worthy placement.

The artworks underwent significant repositioning to be displayed at a new height, on specially created pedestals for the occasion, thus regaining their ancient solemnity.

Additionally, on the ground floor, the tabernacle of Orcagna has been restored to its former splendor, and extraordinary maintenance has been performed on the altar with the group of the Virgin, Child, and Saint Anne by Francesco da Sangallo, and the Madonna delle Grazie by Bernardo Daddi.

Orsanmichele-complex

Via dell’Arte della Lana

Opening Times
8.30am – 6.30 Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
08.30am – 1.30pm Sunday

Tickets: €8

bargellomusei.beniculturali.it/musei/3/orsanmichele/

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