The Galleria dell’Accademia is an art gallery that has existed since the 16th century. With 7 statues, the Accademia has the largest collection of sculptures by Michelangelo in the world, including the famous statue of David. The gallery also has the largest and most important collection of paintings with a gold background.
Statue of David: The statue of David is regarded in art as the perfect ideal of male beauty and, like Botticelli’s Venus, is considered a standard work. Artists and art experts consider the David to be the most beautiful man-made object in art.
Take the opportunity to visit this unique museum and add your ticket to your Florence City Pass.
The Accademia di Belle Arti art museum in Florence is also known as the Accademia or Galleria dell’Accademia. The Accademia was the first academy for female painters in Europe, founded in 1563 during the heyday of the Medici dynasty. The first female painter – Artemisia Gentileschi – was admitted to the academy as early as 1616. In 1784, a decree was issued that the Accademia should maintain a gallery of old master paintings to support young artists in their studies. As a result of this order, it is now one of the most famous art collections in the world, with priceless paintings as well as sculptures and statues. The most famous of the sculptures is undoubtedly Michelangelo’s David, which has been protected here since 1873.
The Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence is home to some of the most important collections of paintings and sculptures in the world: these include statues by Michelangelo, such as the famous David, and the rich collection of ancient Italian paintings. No less important is the collection of plaster models and plaster casts by Lorenzo Bartolini and his pupil Luigi Pampaloni, which form the Gipsoteca set up in the monumental Salone dell’Ottocento. The museum also houses musical instruments of the Medici and Lorraine Grand Dukes, most of which come from the collections of the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory in Florence.
The collection of gold-ground paintings from the 13th to the early 15th century is unique, with examples of paintings by the greatest Florentine artists such as the Master of Mary Magdalene, Giotto, the Master of Santa Cecilia, Bernardo Daddi, Taddeo Gaddi, Andrea Orcagna and many others. No less rich is the field of 15th century painting, which represents late Gothic and Renaissance art. Renaissance painting is represented by works by Paolo Uccello, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Filippino Lippi.
This is followed chronologically by the collection of 16th century painting with masterpieces by Fra’ Bartolomeo, Andrea del Sarto and Pontormo, whose works are in dialogue with Michelangelo’s contemporary sculpture; then the large altarpieces, which show the development of Florentine painting between the 16th and 17th centuries from the influence of Michelangelo’s models to the new spirituality of the Counter-Reformation.
The model of the Rape of the Sabine Women by the great artist commonly known as Giambologna welcomes visitors at the entrance to the Galleria dell’Accademia and dominates the Sala del Colosso. It is one of the rare 16th-century clay models made on a 1:1 scale for the marble version created by the same artist in 1582, which can be seen under the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence’s Piazza della Signoria. In the Galleria dei Prigioni, the unfinished sculptures by Michelangelo Buonarroti, originally intended for the tomb of Pope Julius II in Rome, followed by the Pietà of St Matthew and Palestrina, lead the visitor to the apotheosis at the centre of the Tribuna: the David, the most famous sculpture in the world.
Michelangelo depicts the biblical David, armed with a slingshot, on his way to fight Goliath. The sculpture is considered to be the first monumental statue of the High Renaissance and was carved from a single block of marble. Michelangelo received the commission for the sculpture on 16 August 1501. Three years after the work was completed, in 1504, a commission of leading artists decided to place the sculpture at the entrance to Palazzo Vecchio.
Inaugurated in 2001, the Department of Musical Instruments houses the collection of the "Luigi Cherubini" Conservatory of Florence and displays around fifty musical instruments from the private collections of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, the Medici and the Lorraine family, collected between the second half of the 17th and the first half of the 19th century.
Paintings by artists such as Anton Domenico Gabbiani and Bartolomeo Bimbi, which depict musical life at the Medici court, are also on display. In the rooms of the department, it is also possible to listen to the sounds of the instruments on display via multimedia stations, which also provide an overview of the musical culture of Grand Ducal Florence.
Tuesday to Sunday 8.15 am – 6.50 pm (last admission 6.20 pm).
Closed: 1 January, 25 December, every Monday.
If you choose to add the Accademia di Belle Arti as an optional addition to your Florence City Pass, you can select a specific date and time for your visit. You will get a voucher especially for the Accademia. With the voucher, you can then proceed to the Gallery’s ticket office.
The Accademia di Belle Arti is easy to reach by public transport. Bus lines 1 and 4 stop near the gallery, so the museum is just a short walk away.
Via Ricasoli 58-60
50122 Firenze FI
Click here
to see on google maps
Visit the Accademia Gallery with your optional booking and add this to your >> Florence City Pass!
Free admission to Florence's museums, attractions, and tours. Discounts included.
incl. VAT and service fees, free shipping via e-mail
