Museo Nazionale del Bargello

The Museo Nazionale del Bargello is situated in an imposing building constructed in 1255 whose aim was to be a fortress and arms deposit. Palazzo del Popolo or del Comune later became the residence of the Podestà and, finally, a prison. In the centre of the courtyard there were the gallows which have now been substituted by a well. In the building there is a Chapel with fresco's from the Giotto school. Here the condemned to a death awaited their sentence.

In 1574 it became the seat of the head of the Police, so-called "Bargello", hence the name of the Museum.

Since 1859 it houses the National Museum. Amongst the many works on the ground floor one notes opera's by: Michelangelo, Cellini, and Bernini. On the first floor there is the San Giorgio and the David by Donatello and work by Luca della Robbia. On the second floor there are works by Luca ed Andrea della Robbia, Verrocchio, Rossellino, and Palladio.

The Bargello owes a lot to Cosimo 1st dè Medici, famous and numerous are his ceramics and chinaware.