Accademia Gallery

The Accademia Gallery in Florence is also called the Museum of Michelangelo.

Michelangelo, statue of David (Accademia Gallery, Florence)
Michelangelo’s David, Accademia Gallery, Florence. Photo by Andrew Griffith (cc by-nc-nd 2.0)

History and description

Created by the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo in 1784 as a place of study for students of the nearby Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti) which was the first academy of drawning in Europe, the Academy Gallery (Galleria dell’Accademia) in Florence today retains some of the most beautiful works of Michelangelo.

First of all the statue of David (1501), symbol of Florence in the world and masterpiece of the Renaissance, carried in these areas in 1873 to protect it from the weather.

With its beauty and strength the David symbolizes the power and freedom of the Florentine Republic, embodied by the Palazzo Vecchio, in front of which the statue was originally placed.

In addition to the statue of David, the Accademia Museum also features the famous sculptures by Michelangelo known as the Prisoners (Prigioni), originally located in the Boboli Gardens (Giardini di Boboli) near Palazzo Pitti, the St. Matthew, and the Palestrina Pietà.

The city of Florence keeps other wonderful works of Michelangelo: for instance the Medici Chapels Museum next to Church of San Lorenzo houses some beautiful sculptures that are part of the funerary monuments of the members of the Medici family, and the Uffizi Museum displays some of the his most important paintings.

The Accademia Gallery was designed specifically to house the works of art of great value, and its architecture, particularly spectacular, proves it.

Among the masterpieces housed in the Galleria dell’Accademia, very interesting are The Rape of the Sabine  Women (Il ratto delle sabine) by Giambologna, the Madonna and Child (Madonna col Bambino) and Our Lady of the Sea (Madonna del mare) by Botticelli and some paintings by Perugino, Filippino Lippi, Pontormo, and Bronzino.

The Accademia Museum features as well a splendid collection of gold-ground paintings by Florentine masters of the period between the thirteenth and sixteenth century, the collection of Russian icons belonged to the Lorraine family, and the collection of paintings owned by the Grand Duke Leopoldo.

The Accademia Palace also includes the Museum of Musical Instruments, recently acquired, which houses a Stradivari violin and the most ancient upright piano currently preserved.

Address and map

 Galleria dell'Accademia - Via Ricasoli 58-60 - 50122 Firenze, Italy

Contacts

To directly contact the museum:

Telephone: +39 055 238 8609
Email: ga-afi@beniculturali.it

Opening hours

From Tuesday to Sunday, from 8.15 am to 6.50 pm

The ticket office closes at 6.20 pm
Closing operations begin at 6.40 pm

Closed: Mondays + New Year’s Day and Christmas’s Day

Tickets

Full price: € 8,00

Reduced: € 4,00

Free admission: under 6 years old, disabled people and their helpers, authorized tour guides and leaders, teachers accompanying school groups.

NB – The cost of the ticket may vary during special events or thematic exhibitions.

The ticket is also valid for the Department of Musical Instruments.

Guided tours

Accademia Gallery tours with priority entrance and English speaking guide provided by GetYourGuide, a portal that offers guided tours and other activities in Florence, Italy and all around the world:

An Accademia and Uffizi tour in one day provided by Florence Inferno

Accademia and Michelangelo books

Here some of the best art and guide books about the Accademia Gallery, Michelangelo’s David and Florence:

Hotels and b&b nearby

Recommended hotels, b&b and apartments for rent located near the Accademia Gallery:

Miceli Civico 50 (good 2 star hotel)
Loggiato dei Serviti (prestigious 3 star hotel, classic style)
B&B Lady Florence (good and value-for-money b&b)
San Giuliano Inn (family-run b&b, beautiful and finely-renovated)
Domux Home Ricasoli (seven luxury apartments equipped with every comfort)