From February 11 to March 8, the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze offers eight special guided tours in Italian and English, with two daily sessions at 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Led by the museum staff, these tours share a common theme: the stories, curiosities, and anecdotes behind some of the masterpieces housed in the Gallery.

Each tour (max. 10 participants per session) provides an opportunity to explore the museum’s rich and diverse heritage, from 14th-century tempera and paintings on wood panels to 19th-century plaster casts by Lorenzo Bartolini and Luigi Pampaloni – as well as 16th-century altarpieces acquired by the museum following the dissolution of religious orders in the 18th and 19th centuries. Among these is The Assumption of the Virgin by Perugino, originally from the Benedictine monastery in Vallombrosa.

The tour will also explore the complex transport of Michelangelo’s David, which was moved from Piazza della Signoria to the Galleria dell’Accademia on the night of July 31, 1873, a process that took ten days. Additionally, visitors will discover the history of the Museum of Musical Instruments, established in 1996 through a collaboration between the Galleria dell’Accademia and the Conservatorio di Musica Luigi Cherubini, and officially inaugurated in 2001. The collection features around 400 instruments, including strings, wind, and percussion instruments, dating from the 16th century to the present and originating from around the world.

The itinerary also includes:

• Byzantine icons from the Greek islands, such as The Madonna of the Passion by Andreas Ritzos from Candia.
• Recovered artworks, including a gold-ground panel by Niccolò di Pietro Gerini depicting Saints Jerome and Julian, rescued by the Comando Carabinieri per la Tutela del Patrimonio Culturale (the Italian special military corps entirely dedicated to the Protection of Cultural Heritage).
• Paintings by Italian artists abroad, such as Madonna and Child with Four Angels and Saints by Gherardo Starnina.

Italian-language tours will be held on Saturdays at 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM (max. 10 participants per session).
English-language tours: Tuesdays at 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM (max. 10 participants per session).
Reservations for the thematic tours in the «Percorsi d’arte» series must be made via Eventbrite. Please note that participation to the tour is free of charge, but museum admission requires a separate ticket purchase through the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze website.

Educational Tour Calendar – Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze

Percorsi d’arte – Thematic tours in English (10 participants + guide)

Tuesday, February 11 – 5:00 PM
Tuesday, February 18 – 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM
Tuesday, February 25 – 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM
Tuesday, March 4 – 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM

Info & reservations: Eventbrite

Percorsi d’arte – Thematic tours in Italian (10 participants + guide)

Saturday, February 15 – 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM
Saturday, February 22 – 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM
Saturday, March 1 – 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM
Saturday, March 8 – 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM

Info & reservations: Eventbrite