Museo Nazionale del Bargello

The Bargello is the national museum of Italian Renaissance sculpture and one of the most atmospheric buildings in Florence. The fortress-like palace was begun in 1255 for the Capitano del Popolo and later housed the podestà, the city's chief magistrate. It became a prison and police headquarters, with executions held in the courtyard until Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo abolished them in 1786, and it opened as a museum in 1865 after restoration.

The courtyard, with its open staircase, coats of arms and statues, sets the tone. On the ground floor, the Michelangelo room displays his early Bacchus, the Pitti Tondo and the bust of Brutus, alongside works by Cellini, including his bronze bust of Cosimo I, and Giambologna's Mercury. Upstairs, the great hall holds the most important Donatello collection anywhere, with his bronze David, the earliest free-standing nude since antiquity, his marble David and Saint George. In the same hall are the two bronze panels showing the Sacrifice of Isaac, made by Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi for the 1401 competition to design the Baptistery doors, which Ghiberti won. Elsewhere look for Verrocchio's David, the della Robbia family's glazed terracottas, the chapel of Mary Magdalene with frescoes from Giotto's workshop including an early portrait of Dante, and collections of ivories, enamels and armour.

The Bargello is much quieter than the Uffizi or the Accademia, which makes it ideal for anyone who wants time and space with great sculpture. Allow ninety minutes to two hours. It belongs to the Musei del Bargello group with the Medici Chapels and Palazzo Davanzati; check the official site for current opening days before you go, as they differ from other state museums. Advance booking is rarely essential, but the Firenzecard covers entry.

Children who have seen the David at the Accademia often enjoy finding the other Davids here. The upper floor is reached from the courtyard staircase, so check access arrangements with the museum if you have limited mobility.

The museum is on Via del Proconsolo, about three minutes from Piazza della Signoria and five minutes from the Duomo. The Badia Fiorentina is directly opposite, and Santa Croce is a short walk east.