Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to look out for here include the marble bust of
Brutus
(c 1539-40), the
David/Apollo
(1530-32) and the large, uncompleted roundel of the
Madonna and Child with the Infant
St John
(1503-05, aka the
Tondo Pitti
).
Sala di Donatello
The majestic salon where the city's general council met now showcases works by Dona-
tello and other 15th-century sculptors. Don't miss his
St George
(1416-17), originally on
the facade of Chiesa di Orsanmichele and now within a tabernacle at the hall's far end,
which brought a new sense of perspective and movement to Italian sculpture.
Donatello's Davids
Donatello fashioned his slender, youthful dressed image in marble in 1408 and his fabled
bronze between 1440 and 1450. The latter is extraordinary - the more so when you con-
sider it was the first freestanding naked statue to be sculpted since classical times.
The Della Robbias
The 2nd floor features a superb collection of terracotta pieces by the prolific della Robbia
family, including Andrea's
Ritratto idealizia di fanciullo
(Bust of a Boy; c 1475) and
Giovanni's
Pietà
(1514). Instantly recognisable, Giovanni's works are more flamboyant
than those of his father Luca or cousin Andrea, using a larger palette of colours.
Top Tips
›
Don't try to visit the Bargello and Uffizi together - their collections are too large and important to cram into a
single day.
›
Michelangelo devotees can follow a chronological trail of his sculptural works in Florence by visiting
David
at the Galleria dell'Accademia, stopping at the Cappelle Medicea to view the sculptures in the Sagrestia Nuova
and then heading to the Bargello to admire his second
David
(aka
Apollo
) and the
Tondo Pitti
.
Take a Break
›
The most famous gelateria (ice-cream shop) in Florence, Vivoli (
Click here
), is a only few blocks away.
