Visit the Orsanmichele Church and Museum in Florence

The original sculptures by Donatello, Verrochio, Banco, Ghiberti, Giambologna, and others, an altar painting by Daddi, and a magnificent Gothic tabernacle by Orcagna are the main reasons to visit the Orsanmichele church and museum in Florence.

The most important artwork on the ground floor of the Orsanmichele church is a painting of the Madonna and Child by Daddi, which is enshrined in a massive Gothic tabernacle by Orcagna.

Orsanmichele is in the center of Florence — many tourists walk by and appreciate for free the copies of sculptures on the exterior of this Gothic church and museum building. However, to see the original sculptures by Donatello, Verrochio, Ghiberti, and others, it is necessary to enter the museum and climb the stairs to the upper level. The church on the ground floor is beautifully decorated with 15th-century frescoes, a large Madonna and Child painting by Daddi, and a monumental high Gothic tabernacle. Tickets for Orsanmichele are available online. Many walking tours of Florence include a walk by its exterior while private guided tours of the museum are available.

Orsanmichele Church and Museum in Florence

The current Gothic Orsanmichele in the heart of Florence dates mostly from around 1380 when an open-arcaded market hall was converted into a church. For centuries, the upper floors were used for grain storage and archives but eventually turned into a museum.

The first Christian oratory dedicated to San Michele (the Archangel Michel) at this location in Florence was erected already in the 10th century. Some trace the history of this location as a religious center back to a temple for an Egyptian deity during the Roman era.

However, the current Gothic church building was erected in the early 14th century as a grain market. It was an open-sided loggia with two naves — each with three cross vaults and stone columns. An image of the Virgin, and later the magnificent Daddi painting in a Gothic tabernacle, drew in the devoted, whose candles added a fire risk to the market.

From the 1380s, the market was converted into an oratory. The delightfully named Francesco Talenti walled up the outer arches and designed the elegant triple lancet windows.

Henceforth, the ground floor was used as a church while the upper floors continued as Florence’s emergency grain store. By the late 16th century, the grain supplies were moved elsewhere and the Medici used the space for the city. From the 1880s, the upper floors were used as an events space and eventually as a museum from the 1960s.

Sculptures at Orsanmichele in Florence

The City Council ordered the main Florentine Guilds to decorate the niches on the outer walls of Orsanmichele with sculptures mostly of their patron saints. Most were completed in the early 15th century by top artists and although only copies are now displayed on the exterior, these remain among the top free art sights in Florence (and are visible day and night).

St George by Donatello - copy on the exterior of Orsanmichele in Florence

The 14 marble or bronze sculptures on the exterior of Orsanmichele in order of appearance when going around the church clockwise from the center of the Via de’Calzaiuoli facade (next to the ticket door entrance):

Christ and St Thomas by Andrea del Verrocchio (1467-83) for the merchants’ tribunal in bronze.
St John the Baptist by Lorenzo Ghiberti (1414-16) for the foreign cloth importers and finishers in bronze.
St John the Evangelist by Baccio de Montelupo (1513-15) for the silk merchants in bronze.
Madonna of the Rose by Tedesco (1399) for the doctors and apothecaries.
St James the Elder (Jacob) by Niccolò di Piero Lamberti (1410) for the furriers.
St Mark by Donatello (1411) for the linen-weavers and cloth traders.
St Eligius by Nanni di Banco (1411-15) for the farriers (horseshoe smiths).
St Stephan by Lorenzo Ghiberti (1428) for the fool manufacturers in bronze.
St Matthew by Lorenzo Ghiberti (1419-20) for the bankers in bronze.
St George by Donatello (1416) for the armorers.
Four Crowned Martyrs (Quattro Santi Coronati) by Nanni di Banco (1408) for the wood and stone workers.
St Philip by Nanni di Banco (1412-14) for the shoemakers.
St Peter by Filippo Brunelleschi (1415) for the butchers.
St Luke by Giambologna (1601) for the magistrates and notaries in bronze.

The niches, or tabernacles, are also individually designed — often not by the same artist that made the sculptures. The later sculptures replaced older sculptures, usually of the same figure and of the same guild.

The ovals above the niches displayed the coats of arms of the guilds. Many of the surviving colorful 15th-century terracotta versions are by Luca and Andrea della Robbia.

These sculptures are all very good copies of the original, which are mostly in the museum on the second floor of Orsanmichele church. A notable exception is Donatello’s St George, which is in the Bargello Museum with some of the finest sculptures in Florence.

Top Art in the Orsanmichele in Florence

The ground floor of Orsanmichele is divided into two equal naves. The main altar is at the front of the left nave while the magnificent Gothic tabernacle is in the right-hand corner in the same position it occupied when the building was a still market hall.

Daddi’s Madonna and Child Painting

Visit Orsanmichele in Florence to see Bernardo Daddi the Madonna and Child with Eight Angels

The most important artwork on the ground floor of the Orsanmichele church is a painting of the Madonna and Child by Daddi, which is enshrined in a massive Gothic tabernacle by Orcagna.

Bernardo Daddi, a pupil of Giotto, painted the Madonna and Child with Eight Angels around 1347, as a replacement for the original Virgin Mary image that was damaged earlier by fire.

The Madonna, wearing a lapis lazuli blue mantle holds the baby Jesus in her arms. He caresses her face while holding a goldfinch in the other hand.

The painting of the Virgin and Child was the main object of veneration, although for the non-devote the tabernacle may be more impressive. Although the placement of the sculpture of St John the Baptist was not the most conspicuous geographic positioning in medieval Florence, it was considered very auspicious for being so close to the sacred image of the Virgin.

Orcagna’s High Gothic Tabernacle

Andrea di Cione (known as l’Orcagna) created the extraordinary marble Gothic tabernacle in Orsanmichele Florence

Orcagna: Rear of the Tabernacle in Orsanmichele Florence

Andrea di Cione (known as l’Orcagna) created the extraordinary marble Gothic tabernacle in Orsanmichele to house and protect the Daddi painting in the 1350s. Gemstones and glass mosaics add color and contrast to the white marble decorative elements.

Note the two angels directly above the painting. They recall the tradition of covering depictions of the Virgin and Child and only unveiling the sacred images during certain church services. Other scenes from the Life of the Virgin are depicted on the base of the tabernacle. At the rear, which may be seen for free from the ticket desk, are large high-relief carvings of the Dormition of the Virgin and the Assumption of Mary — two events not in the standard Bible and generally not accepted by Protestant and non-Catholic Christians.

A small door at the back of the tabernacle gives access to the inside of the tabernacle with a small staircase leading to the gallery below the dome. From here, it is possible to lower three metal gates to seal off the three arches and protect the painting and other precious objects.

This access is obviously not for general visitors but it is demonstrated in a video by the Bargello:

More Original Art in Orsanmichele

Visit St Anne Altar Orsanmichele in Florence

The walls, arches, ceilings, and stained-glass windows of Orsanmichele illustrate a variety of Biblical scenes and episodes from the lives of saints. The life of Mary features extensively in the art.

The main altar is dedicated to St Anne — by tradition the mother of the Mary and the grandmother of Jesus. The marble sculpture of the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne is by Francesco da Sangallo (1522-1527). As is customary, St Anne is depicted as significantly older than Mary, as she was childless until an advanced age.

The frescoes in the oratory were painted between 1389 and 1410 when the market was converted into a permanent oratory. Twelve female figures in the vaults of the north aisle balance the twelve male figures in the south aisle. The stained-glass windows are from the same period. Many depict events from the life of the Virgin.

A trapdoor in the vault near the staircase was used to hoist sacks of grain to the storage rooms on the upper floors, while channels in the central pillars made deliveries easy. The iron rings in the vaults were used for light fixtures and lifting when the loggia was still a market.

Original Sculptures in Oranmichele

Visit Original Sculptures in Orsanmichele Museum in Florence

Except for St George, all the original sculptures from the exterior of Orsanmichele are now on display on the second floor of the building. The historic staircase at the back of the church is no longer in use. To reach the upper floors of the museum, exit the church at the rear and use the staircase in the palace on the opposite side of the alley.

The recently completed restoration placed the perfectly cleaned sculptures on pedestals, so they may be appreciated at the same angle as when placed in the original niches on the exterior of the church. The sculptures are just over life-size, most 2 to 2.7 m (6.6 to 9.7 ft) tall. (After seeing the originals, it is worth circling the church again, not necessarily to look at the copies but more to appreciate the original settings and niche designs.)

The city council of Florence permitted (and sometimes ordered) the main guilds of the city to decorate the niches of Orsanmichele with sculptures of their patron saints. Most of the current sculptures are marble but some of the richer guilds demonstrated their wealth and power by commissioning more expensive bronze works, which were around ten times more expensive. (Around 1800, the marbles were darkened to give all the appearance of being bronze.)

All 14 sculptures are by top sculptors — six are bronze and eight in marble. Three of the bronzes are by Lorenzo Ghiberti and three marbles are by Nanni di Banco. Donatello produced three too, but his St Louis of Toulouse was replaced by Verrocchi’s Doubting St Thomas. Many critics see the influence of Donatello in several of the other sculptures too.

Donatello’s St George

Everyone has their favorites and many of the sculptures have interesting histories or myths attached but Donatello’s St George is often considered artistically the best of the 14 statues made for Orsanmichele. However, he is not here — only a drawing is on display inside the Orsanmichele Museum but the copy on the outside is of excellent quality.

St George was made for the guild of armor makers so the young saint carried a large and prominent shield (and probably originally had a sword in his hand. Donatello had to work with a shallow niche due to the positioning of the staircase inside the church directly behind the tabernacle. St George stands slightly turned to get more sculpture into the narrow space.

Slaying the dragon and saving the fair maiden is done in a small panel below the main sculpture. This is another masterpiece by Donatello — compare it with the more static relief below the adjacent martyrs.

St George had his nose broken by a stone in 1858 and in 1891 was moved to the Bargello Museum, where it is still in the Donatello Room where he looks down on two very distinct David sculptures.

Four Crowned Martyrs by Nanni di Banco

Positioned adjacent to St George, the Four Crowned Martyrs is a sculptural group by Nanni di Banco to present the guild of wooed and stone workers, which included sculptors and architects. The four saints were martyred for refusing to erect a sculpture of a pagan god for Emperor Diocletian. Condemned to death, the four crowd the niche in a circular composition. The relief below the niche shows construction, carpentry, architectural calculation, and sculpture works.

According to Vasari, after completing the four statues, Nanni de Banco couldn’t fit all four sculptures into the confines of the niche. Donatello helped out by chopping off some shoulders and repositioning arms so two of the four stood closer together. Unfortunately, during restoration works, it was discovered that the two statues that Donatello should have brought closer together were carved from a single block of marble.

Christ and St Thomas by Andrea del Verrocchio

Verrocchio: Christ and St Thomas Orsanmichele Florence

Christ and St Thomas (also Incredulity of Saint Thomas) by Andrea del Verrocchio, the teacher of Leonardo da Vinci, was not produced for a guild but rather for the tribunal of the merchants and notaries. Like the Biblical doubting Thomas, the magistrates wanted to be certain of their case and required actual proof (and citizens should not doubt their judgment).

Both Christ and Thomas are without backs — it made it easier to position the sculptures in the narrow niche and saved significantly on cost, as bronze was always expensive. This group replaced an earlier gilded St Louis of Toulouse by Donatello that is now in Santa Croce.

Ghiberti Bronzes at Orsanmichele

Ghiberti: John the Baptist Orsanmichele Firenze

Saint John the Baptist by Ghiberti was the first such large bronze statue cast in a single piece in Italy for several centuries. It shows St John decisively older than became popular from the Renaissance onwards.

Ghiberti’s later St Matthew had the head and body cast separately — Ghiberti had to fund a second cast at his own expense when the first attempt at fusion failed. His bronze St Stephen replaced a century-old marble by Nanni di Banco and never received the same critical acclaim as the two earlier works.

Tedesco’s Madonna of the Rose

Madonna of the Rose (Madonna della Rosa) is attributed to Tedesco. This work was moved into the church already in 1628, which contributed to it being in a better condition than most of the other sculptures despite being the oldest. The niche, decorated with blue and golden tiles, was used briefly for St George in the late 19th century in an attempt to protect him better.

Superb Views from the Top Floor of Orsanmichele

Visit the Top Floor of the Orsanmichele in Florence

A modern, 1960s staircase leads to the top floor, which is mostly empty space except for around 40 rather weathered smaller sculptures and decorative elements that were originally used elsewhere in the building. The main reason to ascend to the top floor is the magnificent views of Florence.

Visitor Information: Orsanmichele Church and Museum in Florence

How to Visit Orsanmichele in Florence

Visiting Orsanmichele Church and Museum in Florence

Visiting Orsanmichele in Florence is not difficult but the process is not straightforward:

Buy tickets at the entrance in Via de’Calzaiuoli — the main pedestrian road linking the Duomo and Baptistery with the Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizi, and Ponte Vecchio. (It is also possible to glimpse the rear of the tabernacle and some of the interior for free from this entrance.)
The entrance to the church on the ground-floor level is from the rear of the building in Via dell’Arte della Lana.
To reach the museum on the upper floors, exit the church through the glass door next to the corner staircase (which is not accessible), cross the alley, and enter the Palazzo della Lana on the opposite side. Go up several flights of stairs and cross over an open walkway back to the church building.
The best sculptures are here on the second level of the church building.
A further flight of stairs leads to the top floor with lesser sculptures but fantastic views of Florence.

Visitors without tickets may enjoy very good copies of the sculptures on the exterior of Orsanmichele and peak through the glass doors for free views of the beautifully restored interior.

Opening Hours of Orsanmichel in Florence

The Orsanmichele Museum is open Wednesday to Monday from 8:30 to 18:30 (but on Sunday the church closes at 12:00 and the museum at 13:30). Both church and museum are closed on Tuesdays.

Orasanmichele is closed on 25 December but is open on most other public and religious holidays.

Tickets to Visit Orsanmichele in Florence

Admission tickets to Orsanmichle are €8 for adults, €2 for youths 18 to 25, and free for under 18s. Admission is usually free on the first Sunday of the month.

Advance tickets have a slight surcharge and may be worth paying. While the museum is rarely busy, the ticket window sells tickets (and makes reservations) for various other museums and even a short queue may move painfully slow.

The descriptions in the museum and church are cryptic but in both English and Italian. Private guided tours are available while many walking tours of Florence stop at the exterior.

A combination ticket with all Bargello-managed museums in Florence is worth considering: this €21 Biglietto Cumulativo Musei del Bargello gives access to the Bargello, Cappelle Medicee, Davanzati, Orsanmichele, and Casa Martelli within 72 hours — check the different closing dates to avoid missing out. (An annual pass is €50 and offers further discounts.) The Firenze Card is also accepted.

The Bargello certainly offers more sculptures per euro and many other churches in Florence have more decorations but most art lovers will enjoy the original sculptures and the interior of Orsanmichele. Definitely enter if admission is included in a city pass or combination ticket. If not entering, admire the good copies in the niches on the exterior and peek inside through the large glass doors for a free view of the ground floor.

Florence Resources

The official website of the Firenze Tourist Office is a bit cumbersome but has very useful information. Especially the pdf (alternative link) with the opening hours of all major sights. Unfortunately, it is only available for the current month but it is the second last line on opening hours — the final say is the guard at the door, NOT the ticket window!
Get Your Guide offers tours of all major sights while Tiqets sells online tickets for many top sights in Florence.
Book luggage storage online and explore Florence more easily on foot.
Trainline is good for booking online train tickets in Italy and most of Europe.