Michelangelo spent over 20 years of his life in Florence during which he created some of the most beautiful masterpieces this city had ever seen. The most famous of them, the David, is also located in Florence along with a few copies. Take this tour to discover the Florence side of Michelangelo's artistic mastership.
1) Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze
Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze is an art academy located in Florence. It is famous for its gallery, which beside housing famous works of art by Ghirlandaio, Botticelli and Giambologna also has on display the works by Michelangelo, the most famous of which is the original statue of David.
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2) Basilica di San Lorenzo
Basilica di San Lorenzo is famous for its New Sacristy, the Laurentian Library and the Medici chapel. All of them were built in the 16th century by Michelangelo and are considered masterpieces of architecture. Apart from that the basilica contains other valuable art works by Michelangelo.
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3) Bargello
The Bargello, also known as the Bargello Palace or Palazzo del Popolo (Palace of the People) is a former barracks and prison, now an art museum, in Florence. The Bargello palace was built to house first the Capitano del Popolo and later, in 1261, the 'podestà ', the highest magistrate of the Florence City Council. The original two-story structure was built alongside the Volognana Tower in 1256. The third story, which can be identified by the smaller blocks used to construct it, was added after the fire of 1323. The building is designed around an open courtyard with an external staircase leading to the second floor. The museum houses masterpieces by Michelangelo, such as his Bacchus, Pitti Tondo (or Madonna and Child), Brutus and David-Apollo.
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4) Casa Buonarroti
Casa Buonarroti is a museum in Florence. The building was a property owned by (but never occupied by) the sculptor Michelangelo, which he left to his nephew, Lionardo Buonarroti. The house was converted into a museum dedicated to the artist by his great nephew, Michelangelo Buonarroti the Younger. Its collections include two of Michelangelo's earliest sculptures, the Madonna of the Steps and the Battle of the Centaurs.
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5) Basilica di Santa Croce
The Basilica di Santa Croce (Basilica of the Holy Cross) is the principal Franciscan church in Florence, and a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church. It is situated on the Piazza di Santa Croce, about 800 metres south east of the Duomo. The site, when first chosen, was in marshland outside the city walls. It is the burial place of some of the most illustrious Italians, such as Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, Foscolo, Gentile, Rossini, and Marconi, thus it is known also as the Temple of the Italian Glories (Tempio dell'Itale Glorie). The Basilica is the largest Franciscan church in the world. Its most notable features are its sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils, and its tombs and cenotaphs. Legend says that Santa Croce was founded by St Francis himself.
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