Loggia del Bigallo, Art museum and national heritage building in central Florence, Italy.
The Loggia del Bigallo is a historic building in central Florence housing exhibition spaces with artworks and objects. The structure displays items that document the activities of this institution across many centuries.
The Loggia del Bigallo was built in 1352–58 for the Compagnia della Misericordia, probably by Alberto Arnoldi. Its second story was rebuilt after a fire in 1442. In 1425 Cosimo de' Medici, treasurer of the Bigallo, merged the two confraternities. The arches were walled up in 1697 and reopened in 1889, revealing the bas-reliefs.
The collection features works by artists including Bachiacca and Sogliani, reflecting local artistic traditions across centuries. Visitors can observe how painters from the area depicted religious and everyday scenes.
The loggia stands at the corner of Piazza San Giovanni and Via Calzaioli, beside the Baptistry and the Duomo, so it is reached on foot through the pedestrian centre. The museum and tourist information point occupy the lower level; the open arches face the square and can be viewed from outside at any hour.
The museum preserves historical medical equipment and transport devices that show how healthcare evolved. These objects tell a different story of the building alongside the artworks.
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