By Danelia Rodriguez
Photos by the Author
While doing my daily commute to my classes in Florence there was a certain building that caught my attention. It was in the shape of a tall cube and had niches with different statues in its outer walls. I found it interesting how this building was in the middle of a shopping area and it had the appearance of being much older than the surrounding buildings. I decided to learn more about this interesting building which I discovered to be the church and museum of Orsanmichele.
Located between the shop-filled streets of Calzaiuoli, the Church was completed by the year 1404. It stands out by the many niches with sculptures on the outside of its walls. having a total of 14 sculptures.Each of the sculptures was commissioned by a different guild and represented the patron of each group. They were built with different materials depending on the riches of the guild(the richest guilds made their sculptures in bronze)and by different artists. The sculptures were also made in different time periods, the oldest statue being that of Madonna (1399) and the most recent statue being of Saint Luke (1601).
Although the museum is currently closed you can still see the statue replicas outside and there are guides online that explain the history behind each of the statues. It was fascinating to learn what each statue represented and see the tiny details the artists left to represent the guild members who commissioned them. Investigating about Orsanmichele helped to be more open to learn about and discover historical places in Florence. This city is full of historic locations, buildings and art. The next time you walk through the streets of Florence take note of your surroundings. If you find something interesting, try to research more about it. You might be surprised at the interesting history you will find from it.