Museo di San Marco
Located in Florence, San Marco Museum is one of the preeminent collections of archaic Italian art. Featuring masterpieces by Fra Angelico, Lorenzo Monaco, and many other early Italian masters, it became one of the favorite spots for fans of Italian art. The collection includes masterpieces from the Middle Ages and early Renaissance.
What's inside?
The present complex of the museum is composed of a series of buildings, which include cloisters, two churches, and a thoroughly frescoed refectory. The convent of San Marco, with its great Renaissance library, was founded in 1436 by the Prior and reformer of the Dominican order Girolamo Savonarola. The museum collections include works by many great Renaissance artists such as Sandro Botticelli, Paolo Uccello, Fra Angelico, and Benozzo Gozzoli. The complex houses precious illuminated choir books, panels of frescoes by artists such as Ghirlandaio and Filippino Lippi, drawings by Michelangelo, and a fine library with ancient manuscripts and early printed books.
Providing an educational purpose
The Dominican Order had wished to provide the people of Florence a haven for moral instruction and further cultural enlightenment. It was not just a library but a center of study and discussion. In this sense, it can be described as an educational institution or a university as we would understand the word today.
The library contains rare manuscripts of many distinguished authors, including an autograph of Michelangelo and a copy of Dante's Divine Comedy containing annotations in the poet's own hand. Of particular interest is a manuscript that features illustrations by Lorenzo Monaco.
The museum offers an exhibition program of contemporary art and a space for temporary exhibits dedicated to modern design and fashion art. Museo di San Marco is a remarkable treasure house of art and history.
