Explore the Museum
Hall of the Colossus
This part of the museum is named after the ancient plaster casts that are housed here. Hall of the Colossus was last renovated in 2013. The first thing that you must see are the works of Domenico Ghirlandaio, Filippino Lippi, Paolo Uccello, Perugino, and Botticelli, which you will find on the wall of the entrance itself. On the wall to the left, you will find six exhibits of 15th Century altarpieces. These pieces elaborate on the development of the Florentine School of art. To your right, Giambologna’s plaster cast has been established. It is surrounded by three immensely intricate altarpieces. The altarpieces were created by Perugino, Raffaellino del Garbo, and Filippino Lippi.
Hall of the Prisoners
The Hall of the Prisoners was named after the four large male nudes that have been established in it. These sculptures have a long and intriguing history. The sculptures were commissioned in 1505, which means that it outdates Sistine Chapel. The sculptures were originally intended to be a part of a spectacular tomb for Pope Julius II Della Rovere. However, halfway through its construction, Michelangelo stopped working on these due to financial restraints. These sculptures were then left out of the plan and thus remained in Florence. The Hall of Prisoners also has paintings by Granacci, Andrea del Sarto, Fra’ Bartolomeo, Pontormo, and Michele di Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio.
The Tribune
This part of the Accademia Gallery possibly attracts the most attention. It also has a remarkable back story. Michelangelo’s David is one of his most remarkable works of art ever created. It stood out at Piazza Della Signoria since completion in 1504, braving the elements. In the 1850s, Michelangelo’s David was finally moved inside a tribune. Later on, this tribune became a part of the modern Accademia Gallery. The Tribune also had copies of a number of Michelangelo’s paintings for some time. David can now be found surrounded by works of some of the greatest artists like Bronzino, Cecchino Salviati, and Allori. The idea behind this is to exhibit the similarity of thinking between these artists and Michelangelo.
Gipsoteca Bartolini
Gipsoteca Bartolini has been a part of the Accademia Gallery since 1784. The patron of the Fine Arts Academy wanted an art gallery for the students of the academy. So he ordered to convert the Friary Hospital of San Matthew into an art gallery. Lorenzo Bartolini, one of the leading professors in the history of the revered academy contributed a lion’s of his works for this hall. Pampaloni also decided to contribute his works to the academy. Gipsoteca Bartolini chronicles the evolution of Florentine art from the days of New-classicism and Romanticism.
Florentine Gothic
The last hall on the ground floor of the Accademia Gallery is Florentine Gothic. The hall has three rooms, which are dedicated to the 13th and early 14th century, the Giottesque painters and Orcagna and his brothers, respectively. The first room houses the oldest works of art that you can find in the Accademia Gallery. The works date to the 13th and 14th centuries. The second room displays the works of the followers of Giotto, whose motive was to bring the theme of nature back to art. The last room displays artworks of the four artist brothers Andrea, Nardo, Matteo, and Jacopo di Cione. The hall also has some restored works of art.
Museum of Musical Instruments
This is possibly the most targeted part of the Accademia Gallery. Museum of Musical Instruments has over forty musical instruments that were once an indispensable part of the Medicean court. The interesting part is the amount of work that went into creating these instruments. It truly reflects the priorities and predisposition of these days. In addition to the instruments, you can enjoy the tour of the Museum of Musical Instruments via multimedia systems to add to the experience.
Florence Between 1370 and 1430
Florence Between 1370 and 1430 is situated on the first floor of the Accademia Gallery. It was recently modified in order to make it more appealing to the visitors. A compilation of late 14th Century art was put together in the hall. The first set of artworks that you will see in the hall is dedicated to the local religious and spiritual practices during the time period. The main hall consists of the art commissioned by the Florentine Guilds, which were the major driving forces of the erstwhile society. Do not miss the altarpieces in the hall. They are wonderful exponents of Gothic architecture.
