Museo Bandini

The Bandini Museum in Fiesole presents a collection of medieval and Renaissance sacred art assembled by scholar Angiolo Maria Bandini. Its galleries include Tuscan painting, Byzantine panels and glazed terracottas associated with the Della Robbia workshop.

Why it matters

Bandini, born in Fiesole in 1726, was librarian of the Laurentian Library in Florence. In 1795 he acquired the church of Sant'Ansano to display his collection. At his death in 1803, he bequeathed it to the Bishop and Chapter of Fiesole for the benefit and instruction of the community.

What to notice

The collection includes Tuscan and Florentine paintings, a group of Byzantine works and glazed terracottas from the Della Robbia workshop. A polychrome Madonna and Child is attributed to Filippo Brunelleschi. The museum is arranged over two floors, with works connected to Fiesole on the ground floor and paintings on the upper level.

Context and history

The museum opened in 1913 in a building designed by Giuseppe Castellucci. It was restored and reorganised in the 1980s. The collection remains owned by the Chapter of Fiesole and is managed by the municipality as part of the local museum network.