Museo casa natale di Michelangelo Buonarroti
Museum in the castle of Caprese, where Michelangelo was born in 1475: a plaster cast gallery of his works and sculptures of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The castle of Caprese, built around the year 1000, comprises three buildings: the Palazzo del Podestà, the Palazzo Clusini and the upper courtyard. Michelangelo was born there on 6 March 1475, when his father Ludovico di Leonardo Buonarroti was podestà of the community. The origins of the museum date back to 1875, when, during the celebrations for the fourth centenary of the artist's birth, plaques were placed at Caprese: one on the Palazzo del Podestà and one in the room where he was thought to have been born.
In the Palazzo Clusini, a 14th-century building that once housed the chancery, the upper floors contain a collection of small and medium-sized sculptures by Italian artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, including works by Canova, Medardo Rosso, Bistolfi, Gemito, Greco and Fazzini. In the Palazzo del Podestà are kept a copy of Ludovico's note on the birth of his son, the plaster cast of the Tondo Taddei and a polyptych attributed to Giuliano Amidei.
The upper courtyard houses the plaster cast gallery with casts of Michelangelo's main works, made for the Accademia di Firenze and transferred to Caprese in the mid-20th century, together with a library dedicated to the artist and the historical archive of the village. The old parade ground is now a garden with outdoor sculptures; the collections have been enriched over time through donations from artists, including that of Professor Enrico Guidoni in 2006.
Highlights
- Room of Michelangelo's birth in the Palazzo del Podestà
- Plaster cast gallery of Michelangelo's main sculptures
- 19th- and 20th-century sculptures by Canova, Gemito, Greco, Fazzini and others in the Palazzo Clusini
- Garden with outdoor sculptures in the old parade ground
- Michelangelo library and historical archive of Caprese
Permanent exhibitions
- Gipsoteca di Michelangelo – In the upper courtyard are displayed plaster casts of Michelangelo's main works, made for the Accademia di Firenze.
- Sculture dell'Ottocento e del Novecento – The Palazzo Clusini houses small and medium-sized sculptures by Italian artists, including works by Canova, Gemito, Greco and Fazzini.
- Founded
- 1964
- Visitors per year
- approx. 12,985
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3 |
Amounts taken from a 2023 listing; it is advisable to check them before the visit.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Visits for school classes by appointment are also possible on weekdays.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Ticket office and bookshop in the Palazzo Clusini.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Visits for groups and school parties during the week are by appointment. |
