galleria ente cassa di risparmio di firenze

This gallery , although not well known as other historical landmarks in Florence, is a hidden gem that needs to be discovered. It houses a special art collection from the 13th Century to the 20th, all authored by artists from Tuscany. The foundation that runs the collection made a mission of being the “patron” of local art and wanted to prevent works from leaving Tuscany...or bring back those sold abroad. Huge investments to make bids were made at auction houses and bring them here. More than 9,000 pieces provide a photographic and artistic documentary to the history of Florence’s art scene and urban life. There are paintings that show how Florence looked like even before it was deluged with a disastrous flood in 1557 or even how the Italian flag looked like before the reunification in 1861. Do not miss the painting of Filippo Angeli, known as Napoletano, titled “Veduta di piazza della Signoria a Firenze” to get a glimpse of the breathtaking beautiful piazza adorned by the most spectacular sculptures where the horizontally striped red/white /green flag ( contrarily to today’s vertically striped one) is flying at the top of the tower. In another room, some 124 paintings by an amateur painter Fabio Borbottini (1820-1902) provide the photograph like images of the city, clearly revealing Florence’s urban transformation. It is an amazing resource for academicians to study the history of the city. Renaissance artists Lippi, il Perugino, Giotto,Ghirlandaio with a stirring San Sebastiano are all present along with gilded 13th century altar pieces.The most amazing thing is that the palazzo is owned by a bank and it is still actively operational. The mesmerizing collection adorns the walls of the meeting rooms, executive board rooms, and corridors .The staff work in such surreal atmosphere. As a result, it takes an effort to see the collection. The bank/foundation opens its doors to public only one weekend every month for four daily guided tours for maximum 25 people each time. Watch the dates online and make sure to register and do not miss this incredible art experience.