Museo di Orsanmichele

The history

Located on the first and second floors of the Orsanmichele Loggia, the Orsanmichele Museum mainly houses the works that once adorned the church of Orsanmichele. 

The church, formerly known as San Michele in Orto – hence Orsanmichele – was originally a place for storing and selling grain. After a major fire in the early 14th century, a new loggia was rebuilt and the church was placed under the protection of the Arts of Florence. It was from there that during the 14th and 15th centuries each Art commissioned a Florentine artist to make a statue of its patron saint, to be placed within the tabernacles surrounding the church.

The church of Orsanmichele, its tabernacles and statues have been restored since the 1980s and, in 1996, it was decided to exhibit the original statues on the first floor of the building, thus creating the Museum. 

The museum and the church

Today, the Museum displays 11 of the 14 statues in the outside niches – which now house copies – with masterpieces by Ghiberti, Donatello, Andrea del Verrocchio and many others.

The church is still accessible for worship, and houses the grandiose tabernacle of the Madonna delle Grazie, by Andrea Orcagna, and the altar with St Anne, the Madonna and Child by Francesco da Sangallo.

The artworks

• Disbelief of Saint Thomas, 1467-1483, Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-1488)
• St. John Baptist, 1412-1416, Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455)
• St. John the Evangelist, 1515, Baccio da Montelupo (1469-1523)
• Saint Marc, 1411-1413, Donatello (1386-1466)
• Sant’Eligius, 1417-1421, Nanni di Banco (1385-1421)
• Saint Stephen,  1427-1428, Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455)
• Four Crowned Saints, 1409-1417, Nanni di Banco (1385-1421)
• Saint Philip, 1410-1412, Nanni di Banco (1385-1421)
• Saint Peter, 1408-1413, Filippo Brunelleschi? (1377-1446) e Donatello (1386-1466)
• Saint Luke, 1597-1602, Giambologna (1529-1698)

The artists

• Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-1488)
• Filippo Brunelleschi? (1377-1446)
• Lorenzo Ghiberti (1378-1455)
• Nanni di Banco (1385-1421)
• Donatello (1386-1466)
• Baccio da Montelupo (1469-1523)
• Giambologna (1529-1698)

Photo: Orsanmichele Museum, Florence, Credits: Ministry of Culture