Orsanmichele

About this place

Orsanmichele, Or San Michele or Orsammichele is a communal building and church in the Italian city of Florence. Its uniqueness as an architectural construction lies not only in its multifunctionality as grain market, granary and oratory. The tabernacle by Orcagna, called the high point of Italian Gothic sculpture, and the sculptural program running around all four façades, depicting the patron saints of the major Florentine guilds, are extraordinary. It encompasses several firsts in marble and bronze, and lasting masterpieces of the Early Renaissance by Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello and Nanni di Banco. As you explore, compare the building itself with its decoration and later additions. Differences in materials, forms and imagery can reveal successive periods of patronage, making the visit a way to understand how religious places evolved over time.