Another noteworthy establishment in terms of art collections refers to the Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze, or, briefly, Galleria dell’Accademia). The history of the respective edifice starts off in the latter half of the 16th century, when Ammannati, Bronzino and Vasari founded the Academy of Drawing, on which the Academy of Fine Arts was superimposed during the late 18th century, upon the order to Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo di Lorena. The collection clusters a large variety of works ranging from the 13th to the 16th century, evidencing the fertility and climaxes of Florentine art. There are plenty of names included in this collection, without much resonance to the large public, though connoisseurs are highly likely to find their curiosity completely satisfied by the exhibits displayed at the Academy of Fine Arts.

Yet, Michelangelo’s David is, by far, the pride of the Academy, along with other less known or quite unfinished works of Michelangelo. Just like David, Botticelli’s Madonna and Child and Madonna by the Sea and Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabines are in the highlight of both scholars in art and people with commonplace curiosities and occupations. The Academy also displays works of Perugino, Filippino Lippi and Fra Bartolomeo della Porta, all gathered in the so-called Salone del Colosso. The Florentine Rooms (Sale Fiorentine), the Byzantine Rooms (Sale Bizantine) and the Tuscan Room (Salone delle Toscane) complement, by their specific exhibits, the collection of the Academy.

Name:
Galleria dell’Accademia
Address:
60 Via Ricasoli, Florence
Telephone number:
0039 (0) 55 2388 609
Fax:
0039 (0)55 2388764
Website:
www.polomuseale.firenze.it/accademia