Museo della Misericordia, history and art museum in Florence, Italy
The Museo della Misericordia is a museum in Florence, Italy, that displays the history and art of the Archconfraternity of Mercy. It occupies the fourth floor of the historic headquarters in Piazza Duomo and features 14 rooms with about 80 pieces, including manuscripts, paintings, and objects of daily use.
The Misericordia was founded in 1244, and the museum opened on 20 January 2016 in the historic headquarters. It preserves the history of the Archconfraternity, which has served Florence for almost eight centuries.
The museum shows how the Misericordia has been part of Florentine life for centuries, with objects like the black robe and the bussolotti used for voting. Visitors can see these items and understand the daily practices of the brotherhood.
The museum is on the fourth floor of the Misericordia headquarters in Piazza Duomo, and the rooms are accessible for wheelchairs. It is open from April to October, Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 16:00, and closed on Sundays and some holidays.
The museum holds a copy of the Archconfraternity's 1500 statute and two oils on panel by Santi di Tito, San Sebastiano and San Tobia, both painted 1578–1580. The zana was a wicker basket carried on the back, used by brothers to move the sick before the cataletto, a wooden stretcher, replaced it.
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