Hotels near Museo Nazionale del Bargello

The Bargello occupies a fortified 13th-century palace that once served as the seat of the chief of police (the Bargello). Today it holds Italy's most important collection of Renaissance sculpture in a building that rivals the art it contains. The ground-floor hall displays Michelangelo's early works, including his Bacchus and the Pitti Tondo relief. Upstairs, Donatello's room features his bronze David - the first freestanding nude male sculpture since antiquity - alongside his marble Saint George.

The museum also holds Ghiberti and Brunelleschi's competing bronze panels for the Baptistery doors (the famous 1401 competition that launched the Renaissance), along with major works by Verrocchio, Cellini, and Giambologna. The courtyard, with its open staircase and wall of civic coats of arms, is one of the most photogenic spaces in Florence. Admission is EUR 9 for adults. Most visitors spend 60 to 90 minutes here.

Pro Tip: The Bargello receives a fraction of the Uffizi's visitor numbers despite holding equally significant masterpieces. Visit right after lunch (13:30 to 14:00) when Italian tour groups take their break, and you may have Donatello's David entirely to yourself.