Bargello National Museum

About

The Bargello, also known as the Palazzo del Bargello or Palazzo del Popolo ("Palace of the People"), is a former public building and police headquarters, later a prison, in Florence, Italy. Mostly built in the 13th century, since 1865 it has housed the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, a national art museum. It is the primary national collection for Italian Renaissance sculpture, of which its collection of Florentine works is unequalled, and for the decorative arts of Florence, especially from the Renaissance period. There are also works from earlier and later periods. The medieval building is relatively well preserved, and includes the Cappella della Maddalena (Magdalen Chapel) with extensive but damaged frescos by Giotto, including a full-length portrait of Dante. In 2023 it was the 12th most visited museum in Italy, with 610,203 visitors; it generally lacks the long queues to enter the Uffizi.

The word bargello appears to come from the late Latin bargillus (from Gothic bargi and German burg), meaning "castle" or "fortified tower". During the Italian Middle Ages it was the name given to a military captain in charge of keeping peace and justice (hence "Captain of justice...