What to Do in Florence Italy: Museum of San Marco
- Laura
- 5 days ago
- 6 min read
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If you are trying to decide what to do in Florence Italy, visit our favorite hidden gem, the Museum of San Marco. Housed in a former convent, the Museum of San Marco is prized for its gorgeous frescoes by Fra Angelico. This unassuming historical site located on a quiet square offers rich insight into the city’s religious and artistic past.
At the Museum of San Marco Florence breathtaking murals by Fra Angelico (and his pupils) grace over 40 monks cells as well as seemingly every corridor and hall. See innovative Michelozzo architectural elements in the museum’s cloisters, chapels, and library – one of the original public libraries of the Italian Renaissance era.
Best of all you will experience this bonanza of art in a simple monastic setting. Randy and I loved that unlike the Uffizi, Bargello, and Duomo; this museum was crowd-free. Our article on things to do in Florence Italy at the San Marco Museum includes information on the site’s history, tickets, tours, and what to see.
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WHERE IS THE MUSUEM OF SAN MARCO FLORENCE
Address: Piazza San Marco, 3, 50121 Firenze FI, Italy
The Museum of San Marco Florence is located on the Piazza San Marco. Part of the city’s historic center, the piazza can be accessed by foot, bus, or train (the nearest train station is about 15 minutes away). The museum is about a 2 minute walk from the Galleria dell Accademia.
Florence Italy hotels within the historic district:
Hotel Firenze Pitti Palace al Ponte Vecchio: Clean, affordable. Good location. Roof terrace and restaurant.
Hotel Pendini: Modern hotel in the romantic heart of Florence.
Hotel Calimala: Two restaurants and rooftop bar in historic neighborhood.
Hotel Balestri: On the Arno River. Close to Ponte Vecchio and shopping.
HISTORY OF MUSEUM OF SAN MARCO FLORENCE
A Dominican convent was initially founded on the site in the 13th century. Later, in the 1400s, Cosimo de Medici (The Elder) commissioned his favorite sculptor and architect, Michelozzo, to renovate the site. The job entailed turning the convent into a monastery.
Michelozzo designed a three-story Florentine palace around a central courtyard. The monastery’s light filled spaces, graceful cloisters, and rhythmic arches became a model for other Renaissance builders. Inside the new compound there were gardens, chapels, monk’s cells, and a large public library.
Over the centuries, the site was decorated with stunning frescos by Giovanni of Fiesole (aka Fra Angelico), Ghirlandaio, and other artists. The compound was also the site of fervent religious and political activity. At one time, it was the epicenter of the Renaissance humanism movement. Later, it was a base for the Medici enemy, Girolamo Savonarola.
The Italian state closed the religious order in 1866. It became a museum an 1869, offering the public an insight into Florentine religious life during the Renaissance. Today, the establishment is known as the National Museum of San Marco (Museo Nazionale di San Marco).
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UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE STATUS
The Museum of San Marco Florence lies in the historic center of Florence which became a UNSESCO World Heritage site in 1982. The former convent’s friezes, and the Michelozzo-designed library, are considered masterpieces that add to the city’s outstanding universal value.
MUSEUM SAN MARCO FLORENCE TICKETS & TOURS
Tickets to the Museum of San Marco must be purchased in advance through official museum partners. Entry to the museum is timed with a specific booking date and entry time allotted. Official ticketing partners include GetYourGuide and Viator.
Purchase your tickets here:
GetYourGuide - Timed Entry Ticket to San Marco Museum
GetYour Guide - Florence Official Museum City Pass
Another way to tour the museum is with a guided tour:
WHAT TO DO IN FLORENCE ITALY AT SAN MARCO MUSEUM
The monastery where the museum is housed takes up a full block on Piazza San Marco. The museum occupies about half of this space (friars still reside in the remaining rooms). Plan to spend 1-2 hours at the museum.
Sant’Antonino Cloister
A cloister is a covered, arched walkway bordering an open-air garden. The cloisters at the Museum San Marco Florence were designed to separate the friars from the secular world and provide a beautiful space for exercise, reading, and prayer.
In the Sant’Antonino cloister, see the St. Dominic Adoring the Crucifixion mural by Fra Angelico. Also, look for a series of lunettes (arched spaces) depicting Scenes form the life of St. Antonio.
Refectory and Hospice Rooms
In the Renaissance era, a refectory was a large dining hall; a hospice was a shelter offering free food for travelers on religious journeys.
The Museum of San Marco’s Hospice Room, aka the Pilgrims’ Hospice, once served as a comforting space for visitors. The Refectory was where the monks took their meals. In the present day museum, both spaces display artwork. In these rooms look for paintings by Fra Angelic and his pupils including the Last Judgement and Tabernacle of Linaioli.
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Dormitories
The dormitories consist of three corridors of monks’ cells. The hallways housed the Dominican friars, their novices, and their guests. One of these cells was reserved for Cosimo de Medici (who financed the friary). In another, Pope Eugenius IV once slept.
Each of the 44 cells has a fresco paining by Fra Angelico, or his pupils, that depicts an aspect of the life and passion of Christ. The murals were designed to celebrate each room as a place of quiet contemplation.
There is a painting of the Annunciation (when the Archangel Gabriel tells the Virgin Mary she will conceive Jesus) on a stairway leading to the dormitories. The mural is considered to be a highlight of the museum symbolizing the virtues of purity, obedience, and faith.
Library
Developed during the time of Lorenzo de Medici (The Magnificent), the library became a haven for Florentine humanists and intellectuals of the era. The San Marco library was the first public library of the western world. It contained an extensive collection of books, choir music, manuscripts, and maps.
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USEFUL INFORMATION
Opening Hours and Day
The Museum San Marco Florence is generally open Tuesday thru Saturday between 8:15 am and 1:50 pm (open some Sundays and Mondays). The museum is closed Christmas and New Years day.
Facilities Onsite
There are restrooms and a gift shop onsite.
MUSEUM SAN MARCO FLORENCE ACCESSIBILITY
For a medieval era building, the Museum of San Marco has good accessibility for the mobility impaired. There is a wheelchair accessible entrance, elevator to the upper floor, and accessible restrooms. The museum is stroller-friendly.
We hope you enjoy the solitude of the Museum of San Marco, Laura and Randy
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