Museo della Misericordia
Museum on the fourth floor of the Misericordia headquarters in Piazza Duomo, with about eighty works and documents covering seven centuries of history.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Venerabile Arciconfraternita della Misericordia di Firenze was founded in 1244, when the Dominican friar Pietro da Verona, who had come to the city to fight the Patarine heresy, encouraged the formation of companies of the faithful who then devoted themselves to the works of mercy. From 1576, by grant of Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici, the confraternity has been based in a palazzo opposite Giotto’s Campanile. Its service to the sick, the poor and the dead, particularly during plague epidemics, has marked the social history of the city.
The museum, first opened in 2005, was renovated and inaugurated on 20 January 2016 on the fourth floor of the headquarters in Piazza Duomo. The route unfolds over 14 rooms covering about 600 square metres and was designed by the architecture firm Noferi e Locorotondo, with the collaboration of the Soprintendenza.
The exhibition brings together about eighty pieces, some of them restored for the occasion, among them manuscripts, paintings, coats of arms, furnishings, everyday objects and products of Florentine craftsmanship, as well as a 16th-century copy of the Statute. Films in Italian and English tell of the origins, the period of the plague and the services provided by the Misericordia today. From the windows there is a view over Piazza del Duomo.
Highlights
- Paintings by Santi di Tito, Carlo Dolci, Bachiacca and Sogliani
- Works by Caravaggesque artists such as Dirck van Baburen
- Terracottas from the Della Robbia workshop and a cross from the Giambologna workshop
- 16th-century copy of the Statute of the Arciconfraternita
- Films in Italian and English on the history of the plague and today’s services
Permanent exhibition
- Percorso permanente del Museo della Misericordia – Fourteen rooms with paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, coats of arms and everyday objects that tell the story of almost eight centuries of the confraternity’s activity.
- Founded
- 2005
- Operated by
- Venerabile Arciconfraternita della Misericordia di Firenze
- Visitors per year
- approx. 4,705
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €8 |
|---|
Single ticket of €8, also available to buy online from the museum’s website. The Firenze Card can be bought at the museum, by payment card or credit card only.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum route is accessible by wheelchair, and the museum can be reached by an internal lift. Animals are admitted only when accompanying people with disabilities.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Information point and bookshop at the entrance, with books on the history of the Misericordia and small gifts.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography and filming are permitted only with prior authorisation; the request is sent by e-mail. |
| Good to know | Guided visits for groups (maximum 20 people) with an in-house guide, by reservation by telephone, e-mail or via the website. Educational routes for schools are also available on request to the museum manager. |
