MUSEO DEGLI INNOCENTI

Created in 1419 to care for and raise orphaned and abandoned children, this hospital was founded during the Republic by wealthy entrepreneurs from the wool guild. Designed by Brunelleschi, it was an ambitious project for its time, embodying the values of the Renaissance and humanism. A special place in Florence's history. The first institution of its kind in Europe, it is now an example of harmonious, rational architecture, designed for care and rest.

On the left-hand side of the portico, in the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata, there's an inscription on the small closed window, adorned with two love birds. This recalls the so-called "wheel" that operated until 1875, where mothers abandoned unwanted newborns or children they were unable to raise. Even today, the name of the Innocents, in every sense of the word, refers to this origin. The pretty central vestibule leads to the lodge above the portico (once the children's living room). Between the arcades, Luca della Robbia's ceramic medallions depict swaddled children: the symbol of the hospital.

The Museum of the Innocents(museo degli Innocenti, also known as "MUDI"), reopened in 2016 after extensive renovation work, features works of art acquired over the centuries through bequests and donations, most of which were dispersed during the ^19th century. The remaining works, such as those by Luca della Robbia, Sandro Botticelli and Piero di Cosimo, are worthy of a museum of this kind. We can also admire the beautiful Adoration of the Shepherds by Michelangelo's master Domenico Ghirlandaio (1488), in which the artist has depicted, as was his wont, a series of historical portraits among the crowd surrounding the children, such as merchants from the Arte della Seta, ward boys and hospital benefactors. But this museum, beyond its works of art, stands out for its moving approach to the history of this orphanage, notably through the moving testimonies of abandoned children, or objects left behind by parents at the time of abandonment in the hope of recognizing the children later. It's not impossible to shed a tear...

To recover from your emotions, the Musée des Innocents has a cafeteria offering breathtaking views of Florence. Il Caffè del Verone is open to all. A spectacular panorama not to be missed during your visit!