It is easily ascertainable that Florence is chiefly a culture tourism destination, which is why all advised visitors should expect to find, besides historic edifices and religious establishments, a consistent number of museums and galleries able to substantiate the rich historic, artistic and cultural past of Florence. Indeed, Florence welcomes its tourists with some 30 museums and galleries covering the topics of art, history and science, of which the following is but a selection the most impressive establishments of this kind, standing out as must-visit objectives.

The Cathedral Museum (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo/Museo di Santa Maria del Fiore) is, perhaps, the most centrally located in Florence as compared to other similar edifices, and it can not possibly be overlooked since it is genuine bundle of works of art inherited from Renaissance. The museum has been founded in 1891 – on the premises of a 15th century building servicing as workshop for the artists who carried on their work in view of embellishing the Cathedral and the adjoining religious structures – as a solution of both preserving and making available to the public in a more downright manner the works of art which used to populate the main religious edifices located in Piazza del Duomo, namely, the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Bell Tower (Campanile). By far, the chief highlight of the museum refers to Michelangelo’s Pieta, a work of art held in great respect not only by Florence, but by the entire history of art, since this work is one of the most famous in the entire Western art. However, Michelangelo’s contribution is complemented by works pertaining to Donatello, Giotto, Andrea Pisano, Luca della Robbia, Alberto Arnoldi and Brunelleschi. Besides sculpture, the museum takes pride in displaying, in the so-called Sala dell’Altare (Altar Room), some of the finest embroideries and needlework panels made of silk and gold representing various scenes from the scriptures.

Name:
Museo dell’Opera del Duomo
Address:
9 Piazza del Duomo, Florence
Telephone number:
0039 (0)55 230 2885
Fax:
0039 (0)55 2302898
Website:
www.operaduomo.firenze.it