Academy Gallery.
The Academy of Fine Arts in Florence is one of the most popular and famous museums not only in the capital of Tuscany, but also in the whole of Italy and even Europe.
The Academy’s collection boasts a very solid age – the date of its foundation dates back to the middle of the 16th century, namely 1561. It was initiated by Cosimo I de’ Medici and founded by three of the most famous masters – Giorgio Vasari, Agnolo Bronzino and Bartolomeo Ammanati. The Academy was the most authoritative educational institution in the city.
Since 1784, all art schools were subordinate to the Academy of Fine Arts. The Academy’s collection is considered to be one of the most valuable in a country so rich in museums and magnificent art collections. Highlights include sculptures by the great Michelangelo – the original “David”, the “Pieta Palestrina”, as well as the statue of St Matthew, the “Evangelist Luke” and the “Four Servants”, which were created for St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Other important works of art, such as Giambologna’s “Abduction of the Sabinian Women”, are also on display.
The collection of paintings is very rich: in the gallery of the Florentine Academy of Fine Arts you can see a fine collection of paintings by local masters, covering the period from the 15th to the 16th centuries. There are works by Andrea Orcagna, Ghirlandaio, Fra Bartolomeo, Filippino Lippi, Bronzino and many others.
Open all days except Monday, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December
