Visit San Marco Museum in Florence: tickets, prices, schedules

Did you plan to visit Florence and its cultural treasures? Then discover our tour guide on the San Marco Museum in Florence!

Located in Piazza San Marco, not far from the famous Duomo de Florence , the San Marco Museum is the museum part of the complex of the same name.

It includes the museum, the convent and various gardens, as well as the Basilica, which overlooks San Marco Square. This museum is one of the must-see attractions to visit in Florence. It hosts the largest collection of paintings Fra Angelico a monk and painter of the renowned Italian Renaissance, whose frescoes decorate the walls of this former Dominican convent.

But what are you going to see in this magnificent San Marco Museum in Florence? From its history to practical information, to time and fare, we devour everything you need to know to prepare your arrival in this must-see museum!

Presentation and history of the San Marco Museum

The San Marco Museum is originally a convent, built in the 13th century first occupied by monks vallombrosains then sylvestrins before being awarded in 1436 to the Dominicans who wanted to have a convent in the heart of Florence. At the same time, important reconstruction work was undertaken, under the impulse of the generous Cosme patrons and Laurent de Medici . The famous Florentine architect, Michelozzo , was then in charge of the project.

It was during this same period of major renovations that the Dominican monks decided to decorate different places of the convent with frescoes of symbol value. In 1438, Dominican brother Giovanni da Fiesole, known today as Fra Angelico by the French and Beato Angelico by the Italians, began the realization of these frescoes, completed in 1445. On that date Fra Angelico finally left the San Domenico Convent of Fiesole to join the San Marco Convent and finish his work with his assistants.

Note that the Basilica, built during the same period, was made by the sculptor Giambologna and the architect Michelozzo. Several times redesigned, its façade is neoclassical and dates back to the 1778s.

The monument then remained a monastery until 1869, when the building was finally dedicated to the Fra Angelico Museum. That year, the monastery was also declared a "national monument". Since then, the Museum of San Marco welcomes visitors wishing to discover the works of the famous Dominican artist as well as this sublime convent that is due to the illustrious architect Michelozzo. The building as the frescoes perfectly represent the artistic refinement reached in the time of the Italian Renaissance.

What to see and do at the San Marco Museum in Florence?

The San Marco Museum is now one of the most important museums in the city. Located in this convent of San Marco, an architectural masterpiece of Michelozzo, you will discover a collection of major works by the Dominican painter Fra Angelico, all tried through the rooms, corridors and cells of the brothers of the convent.

The entrance to the Museum is made by a door on the left of the Basilica of San Marco. You will then arrive in the great cloister of Saint Antonin , then in Hall of Hospice . As the fresco painted by Fra Angelico above the second door, which represents the pilgrim Christ greeted by the Dominicans, this room was to host at the time a Hospice for Pilgrims.

It is in this room that all works are gathered on Fra Angelico panels, sometimes outside the convent since they can be moved (on panels), like:

• “ Pala di San Marco “which represents the Virgin in Majesty, that is, the Virgin to the Child, truncating surrounded by holy figures.
• “ La Descente de Croix “that art historian and painter Giorgio Vasari considers to be “painted by a saint or an angel”!
• The impressive painting “ Last Judgement "
• The four of the Virgin, ordered for the church of Santa Maria Novella.
• And many other exceptional paintings of this illustrious painter.

Before you enter the Hall of the Hospice or later, you will be able to flatten yourself in the different cloisters, including the entrance: the cloister of Saint Antonin where the oldest frescoes of Fra Angelico are located in five of the glasses.

The continuation of your visit will lead you through the hallway of the cloisters, the Capitular room , where is the monumental fresco « Crucifixion et saints », then in the washroom , small and tall refectory , lapidarium . All of these pieces are home to works by Fra Angelico but also other renowned Dominican artists or painters.

Finally, you will reach the floor of the San Marco Convent where you will find the cells of the Dominican brothers , all decorated with a fresco of Fra Angelico. You can admire more 44 frescoes in this vast space of the San Marco Museum.

To close your visit, you will have the chance to discover the Library of Michelozzo . It is one of the most prestigious libraries of the Italian Renaissance, composed by the student Niccolò Niccoli , one of the advisors of Cosme l’Ancien de Medici.

How to go to the San Marco Museum in Florence?

To visit the San Marco Museum in Florence, you will have to go to the square with the same name, the Piazza San Marco .

It is possible to reach it through the public transport of the city of Florence. Several bus go to Piazza San Marco, like the lines 1, 6, 14 or 52 leaving Florence train station (Firenze S.M.N). Many lines also allow you to reach the Museum from the outskirts of the historic city centre.

However, whether you are at the train station or already in the historic city centre, the San Marco Museum is easily accessible on foot in about ten minutes. Piazza San Marco is just a 7-minute walk from the Dôme de Florence. It'll be enough for you to come back. Via Camillo Cavour to Piazza San Marco. To organize your transfers on foot or by bus, you can use the city maps available in our article " Detailed maps and plans of Florence » .

Timetables & Rates of the San Marco Museum in Florence

How to book a ticket to visit the San Marco Museum in Florence?

HORARI

The Museum is open to the public every day, with the exception of certain days*:

• Monday to Friday 8H15 to 13H50 (last entry: 13H20)
• Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 8H15 to 16H50 (last entry: 16H20)

You can book a ticket online before your visit or buy it directly at the ticket office on the site (which closes with the last entry).

*Please note that the San Marco Museum is closed on 1st, 3rd, 5th Sunday and 2nd and 4th Monday of each month, as well as on 25th December and 1st January.

RATES

Here are the rates to visit the San Marco Museum in Florence:

• Full rate: 8 €
• Reduced price: 2 €

Reductions may be obtained in accordance with the law for State museums. For example, are eligible for reduced rate : citizens of the European Union under the age of 18 or persons with disabilities, with the family member or accompanying him.