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Museums of the Quartiere di san Giovanni, Florence

MUSEUM OF TOPOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF FLORENCE AND MUSEUM OF PREHISTORY
The Museo e Istituto Fiorentino di Preistoria (Florentine Institute of Prehistory) and the Museo Storico Topografico "Firenze com'era" (Museum of Topographical History of Florence) are situated in the former convent of the Oblate Nuns, whose buildings were once part of the Arcispedale di Santa Maria Nuova, the city's oldest (and still functioning) hospital that was founded by Folco Portinari in 1286.

GALLERY OF THE ACCADEMIA
This is one of the best known museums in Florence, because it houses famous sculptures by Michelangelo, including the "David". There are also many paintings, collected by the Grand Duke Peter Leopold to help the young artists enrolled in the Accademia d'Arte, which is still next door to the gallery.

CONVENTO DI SAN MARCO
Michelozzo rebuilt and expanded this convent for Cosimo the Elder, and it still contains the splendid frescoes that Beato Angelico painted to decorate the monks' cells. Inside there is also a beautiful library that Michelozzo designed in 1448; this, the first public library of the Renaissance, contains many fine illuminated manuscripts.
The church of San Marco that stands alongside the convent was redesigned by Michelozzo.

UNIVERSITY MUSEUMS AND BOTANICAL GARDENS
The entrance to several of the University's scientific museums are on Via La Pira: Geology and Paleontology, Mineralogy and Lithology and the Botanical Gardens, or "Giardino dei Semplici", founded by the Medici and then enriched under the Lorraine rule; the Botanical Museum, on the other hand, dates from the 19th century.

ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
This collection, begun by The Medici and continued by The Lorraine, contains many important items related to Etruscan art and civilization such as the "Chimera of Arezzo", the "Orator" and the "Minerva of Arezzo", as well as several tombs that are in the garden. The Greek and Egyptian sections are also quite noteworthy, in fact, this is one of the major archeological museums in Italy.

OPIFICIO DELLE PIETRE DURE (Mosaic Artist's Workshop)
The Opificio was founded by Ferdinando de' Medici in 1588. It is an important center for the restoration of inlays and mosaics, and it has a fine display of inlays, studies and drawings.

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