In many ways, the tradesmen who built the Orsanmichele also built the modern world. Some of the first people to emerge from the feudalism of the Middle Ages, they constructed the building initially as a trading loggia, to exchange goods, but converted it to a church in the late 14th century. It was subsequently decorated by each of the guilds in turns. Visit Orsanmichele now to appreciate the city’s intense religious focus and its trading history.
Stop in front of the building to appreciate the replica sculptures in the façade’s niches. Originals were commissioned by the guilds as celebrations of their patron saints. Notice the way each guild attempted to outdo the others by yet more ostentatious displays. Spot the three richest guilds, two merchants’ and the armorers’, by their bronze statues, contrasting with the marble of other groups.
Enter the church, which preserved much of the architectural detail of the original trading hall. Imagine the space as it once was, its square core filled with the chatter of Renaissance merchants trading European goods for exotic silks and spices of the wider world. Notice, in the side pillars, openings once used as grain elevators to convey products up and down.
On Mondays, climb to the second floor for a small museum exhibit displaying both the original sculptures and information about the construction and meaning of the space.
Orsanmichele stands on the famous Via Calzaiuoli in the heart of Florence’s Old Town, roughly halfway between the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio on one of the city’s main arteries. Walk from the train station in about 13 minutes. Buses stop next to the church with connections to other locations in the city. Parking in the area is limited, so walk or take public transportation instead.
The church is open for visitors daily from late morning to early evening. The museum on the upper levels is open at the same time on Mondays. Access to both is not ticketed.
