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Florentine Art


In this section we take a deeper dive into some of the masterpieces of the renaissance in Florence.

Bronzino, The Descent of Christ Into Limbo

descent-of-christ-bronzino-detail.jpg In the Basilica of Santa Croce museum, in the Refectory, where the Cimabue crucifix hangs, there is an now an exhibit set up in the middle of the space. One of the paintings featured is Bronzino's 1552 masterpiece "The Descent of Christ Into Limbo". The predella of this work was "lost" in the Santa Croce complex since the flood of 1966 or before - it was previously removed from the church itself ... read more.

Cellini's Perseus with the Head of Medusa

perseus-with-the-head-of-medusa.jpg Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus with the Head of Medusa is one of the greatest masterpieces of Mannerist sculpture. Commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici and completed in 1554, this bronze work stands in the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence's Piazza della Signoria, where it has remained for nearly 500 years! It was his last public commission and reportedly took nearly ten years to complete. The sculpture ex... read more.

Michelangelo's Florence

michelangelo-david.JPG Michelangelo's David (copy) outside the Palazzo Vecchio Florence is the birthplace of the legendary Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti. While he spent much of his career in Rome working on commissions for the papacy, Florence remains home to some of his most iconic masterpieces that dazzle visitors from around the world. Michelangelo's Painting & Sculpture The Galleria dell'Accademi... read more.

Torso of a centaur, torso del centauro, Uffizi Gallery

torso-centaur-uffizi.jpeg Popularly known as the "Gaddi Torso" for the wealthy Florentine family that possessed it in the early 16th century, this sculptural fragment of a faun or centaur - half man, half beast - was probably "discovered" in Rome. It is of Greek origin, from around the second century B.C. and may have been in the private collection of Lorenzo Ghiberti before coming to the Gaddi. It is one of the most pe... read more.

Vision of St. Bernard, Badia Fiorentina

vision-of-st-bernard-filippino-lippi.jpg The "Apparition of the Virgin to St. Bernard" or the "Vision of St. Bernard" is a wonderful Renaissance painting by Filippino Lippi (c. 1485). I keep thinking about writing a list of great paintings you can see for free in Florence, and this one would be near if not at the top (Pontormo's Deposition in Santa Felicita is another favorite). It is just inside the door, on the left, of the Badia (Abbe... read more.

Where To See Renaissance Sculpture In Florence

davids-face.jpeg You probably know that Florence is the city in which the Renaissance was born. You may not be totally familiar with the concept that the style we call Renaissance first became apparent in sculpture, rather than in painting and architecture, which followed soon after. Renaissance Sculpture in Florence: A Visitor's Guide Florence isn't just the birthplace of the Renaissance - it's where this trans... read more.


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