Monday 17 november 2025, Florence

The Uffizi is huge. Not far away is a smaller jewel: the Bargello, which was once the seat of municipal government and later a prison. Since 1855 it has been a national museum, with a great collection of Italian Renaissance sculpture.

My knowledge of classical myths is superficial, so I can’t tell you much about why Artemis sent a boar to kill Adonis while he was out hunting. But here’s the illustration:

Here’s Hermes by Giambologna:

And two Donatello works — first, David:

and then John the Baptist:

The Bargello also has some fascinating objects that one might not expect to see, like this set of surgical instruments à la Swiss Army knife:

and a portable piano:

Finally, another display window, which seems a bit spring-like among all the holiday glamor: