THE BARGELLO Palace, Prison and Museum

The BARGELLO was built in 1255 for the Captain of the Peopleand was a symbol of the power of Florence.Later the palace became the residence of the Podesta' in 1261 and other magistrates. In 1574 became the headquarters of the Captain of Justice and it was a prison only in 1855 became a museum.The splendid courtyard with its arched porticoes of the 14th to 16th century has retained all its medieval style.On the first floor the hall of Donatello contains many works of Donatello among them the bronze DAVID 1430. There are many other sculptures of Desiderio da Settignano, Michelozzo and Verrocchio and ceramics by Luca della Robbia.

The Michelangelo room contains the great sculpture BACCUS, Pitti Tondo, David Apollo and the Bust Of BRUTUS. In the Chapel of Santa Maria Maddalena on the first floor Frescoes by the school of GIOTTO.In the Courtyard back the archoes sculptures of Lions of the medieval time in stone.

Therefore in the museum you can see many collections of ivories, maiolicas, gold and silverware of various time.