Description of the attraction
The Bargello Palace looks like a powerful, austere fortress with its della Volonyana tower, with a jagged end and loopholes. The palace was built in 1255 especially for the ruler of the city. Over time, the podesta (head of the executive and judicial branch) was located here, then the Council of Justice. In 1574, the palace became the property of the captain of the police guard (bargello).
Outside, the building is divided into three parts by two horizontal belts. The windows have different shapes: in the upper part of the building - single or twin, at the bottom - with crossbars. The top of the building is decorated with a protruding jagged cornice formed by small arches and consoles.
From the inside, the building is surrounded by a Courtyard with porticoes on three sides, pylons and arcades. A picturesque open staircase, built in the 14th century by the architect Neri di Forovante, leads to the upper Loggia by Tone di Giovanni (1319). The walls of the Court are covered with many coats of arms of the city's rulers and supreme judges.
Since 1859, the Palace has become the National Museum, which houses the sculpture of the Renaissance, as well as masterpieces of art from other eras. The main exhibition occupies three floors of the palace. In the hall of Michelangelo you can see his sculpture "Bacchus", a bust of "Brutus" and a relief depicting the Madonna and Child. The following are works by Giambologna, Donatello, Brunelleschi, Ghiberti and other masters.
