Dedicated to Medieval and Renaissance art, the Museo Nazionale del Bargello is located in Florence’s historic Palazzo del Podestà. It was established by royal decree on June 22, 1865—Italy’s first national museum.
From the moment of its foundation, the Bargello’s collection brought together some of the most important works of Renaissance sculpture: masterpieces by Donatello, Luca della Robbia, Andrea del Verrocchio, Michelangelo Buonarroti, and Benvenuto Cellini, drawn largely from the Medici-Granducal collection. In 1888, Louis Carrand, an antiquarian from Lyon, made one of the most important donations, bequeathing to the Bargello his collection of more than 2.500 paintings and works of decorative art including an impressive collection of majolica. Tours of the museum also include a visit to the picturesque courtyard and two grand halls.
Bargello National Museum is recognized in Hoptale's First-Time Visitor Guides as one of the top things to do in Florence.