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Bargello
The Bargello, also known as the Palazzo del Bargello or Palazzo del Popolo ("Palace of the People"), is a former public building and police headquarters, later a prison, in Florence, Italy. Mostly built in the 13th century, since 1865 it has housed the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, a national art museum.
It is the primary national collection for Italian Renaissance sculpture, of which its collection of Florentine works is unequalled, and for the decorative arts of Florence, especially from the Renaissance period. There are also works from earlier and later periods.
The medieval building is relatively well preserved, and includes the Cappella della Maddalena (Magdalen Chapel) with extensive but damaged frescos by Giotto, including a full-length portrait of Dante.
In 2023 it was the 12th most visited museum in Italy, with 610,203 visitors; it generally lacks the long queues to enter the Uffizi.
The word bargello appears to come from the late Latin bargillus (from Gothic bargi and German burg), meaning "castle" or "fortified tower". During the Italian Middle Ages it was the name given to a military captain in charge of keeping peace and justice (hence "Captain of justice") during riots and uproars. In Florence he was usually hired from a foreign city to prevent any appearance of favoritism on the part of the Captain. The position could be compared with that of a current Chief of police. The name Bargello was extended to the building which was the office of the captain.
Construction began in 1255. The palace was built to house first the Capitano del Popolo and later, in 1261, the 'podestà', the highest magistrate of the Florence City Council. This Palazzo del Podestà, as it was originally called, is the oldest public building in Florence. This austere crenellated building served as model for the construction of the Palazzo Vecchio. In 1574, the Medici dispensed with the function of the Podestà and housed the bargello, the police chief of Florence, in this building, hence its name. In 1479 Bernardo Bandini Baroncelli, one of the movers of the Pazzi conspiracy against the Medici family was hanged from the building, an event witnessed and sketched by Leonardo da Vinci.
It was employed as a prison; executions took place in the Bargello's courtyard until they were abolished by Grand Duke Peter Leopold in 1786, but it remained the headquarters of the Florentine police until 1859. After an interval, it then became a national museum.
The original two-storey structure was built alongside the Volognana Tower in 1256. The third storey, which can be identified by the smaller blocks used to construct it, was added after the fire of 1323. The building is designed around an open courtyard dating from 1280-1285. An external staircase leading to the second floor was added between 1345-1367 under master builder Neri di Fioravante. An open well is found in the centre of the courtyard.
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Bargello
The Bargello, also known as the Palazzo del Bargello or Palazzo del Popolo ("Palace of the People"), is a former public building and police headquarters, later a prison, in Florence, Italy. Mostly built in the 13th century, since 1865 it has housed the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, a national art museum.
It is the primary national collection for Italian Renaissance sculpture, of which its collection of Florentine works is unequalled, and for the decorative arts of Florence, especially from the Renaissance period. There are also works from earlier and later periods.
The medieval building is relatively well preserved, and includes the Cappella della Maddalena (Magdalen Chapel) with extensive but damaged frescos by Giotto, including a full-length portrait of Dante.
In 2023 it was the 12th most visited museum in Italy, with 610,203 visitors; it generally lacks the long queues to enter the Uffizi.
The word bargello appears to come from the late Latin bargillus (from Gothic bargi and German burg), meaning "castle" or "fortified tower". During the Italian Middle Ages it was the name given to a military captain in charge of keeping peace and justice (hence "Captain of justice") during riots and uproars. In Florence he was usually hired from a foreign city to prevent any appearance of favoritism on the part of the Captain. The position could be compared with that of a current Chief of police. The name Bargello was extended to the building which was the office of the captain.
Construction began in 1255. The palace was built to house first the Capitano del Popolo and later, in 1261, the 'podestà', the highest magistrate of the Florence City Council. This Palazzo del Podestà, as it was originally called, is the oldest public building in Florence. This austere crenellated building served as model for the construction of the Palazzo Vecchio. In 1574, the Medici dispensed with the function of the Podestà and housed the bargello, the police chief of Florence, in this building, hence its name. In 1479 Bernardo Bandini Baroncelli, one of the movers of the Pazzi conspiracy against the Medici family was hanged from the building, an event witnessed and sketched by Leonardo da Vinci.
It was employed as a prison; executions took place in the Bargello's courtyard until they were abolished by Grand Duke Peter Leopold in 1786, but it remained the headquarters of the Florentine police until 1859. After an interval, it then became a national museum.
The original two-storey structure was built alongside the Volognana Tower in 1256. The third storey, which can be identified by the smaller blocks used to construct it, was added after the fire of 1323. The building is designed around an open courtyard dating from 1280-1285. An external staircase leading to the second floor was added between 1345-1367 under master builder Neri di Fioravante. An open well is found in the centre of the courtyard.
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