# Orsanmichele, Florence > Orsanmichele is an unusual church on Via dei Calzaiuoli, between the cathedral and Piazza della Signoria: it began as a covered grain market and was later turned into the church of the city's guilds. Outside, 14 niches hold statues of saints by Ghiberti, Donatello and Verrocchio; inside is Orcagna's gleaming marble shrine. Entry is free; allow 20 to 30 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/orsanmichele - City: [Florence](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence), Italy - YesGo score: 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 30 min - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Opening hours: By day; museum on certain days - Highlights: Niche statues, Orcagna's tabernacle - Museum: Original statues on the upper floors - Time needed: 20–30 minutes - Location: Via dei Calzaiuoli, 3 minutes from Piazza della Signoria - Coordinates: 43.77071, 11.25505 - Facts checked: 11.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1337** — the grain market building went up (source: English Wikipedia) - **1380** — the ground floor became a church for good (source: English Wikipedia) - **14** — niches with statues of guild patron saints (source: English Wikipedia) - **1355–1359** — Andrea Orcagna made the marble tabernacle (source: English Wikipedia) - **Ghiberti** — his St John the Baptist was the first large Renaissance bronze (source: English Wikipedia) ## History of Orsanmichele The name **Orsanmichele** comes from San Michele in Orto, the church of St Michael in the vegetable garden that once stood here. The site later became the city **grain market**, and in **1337** a large stone building went up: an open loggia below where grain was sold, and storehouses above against lean years. On one of the market pillars hung an image of the Virgin to which Florentines credited miracles. Devotion grew, and in **1380** the ground-floor arches were walled in and the loggia became a **church**. It was looked after by the **guilds**, the associations of merchants and craftsmen who then ran Florence. Each guild was given a niche on the outside wall and expected to fill it with a statue of its patron saint. The guilds competed with one another and hired the best sculptors, and over a century the building's exterior turned into a showcase of Florentine sculpture from Gothic to Renaissance. ## The niche statues Walk all the way round; each side has several niches. **Lorenzo Ghiberti**'s bronze **St John the Baptist**, made for the cloth merchants, was the first large bronze statue of the Renaissance. **Donatello**'s marble **St Mark**, for the linen merchants, amazed people with its natural stance, and his **St George** became the image of the brave young hero. One of the loveliest groups is **Andrea del Verrocchio**'s **Incredulity of St Thomas**: Christ and the apostle share one niche as if in conversation. Nearby are Nanni di Banco's **Four Crowned Saints**, for the stonemasons' guild. Below the niches are the guild crests in coloured glazed terracotta by the della Robbia. The niches now hold exact copies. After restoration the originals were moved to the upper floors of the building, into a **museum** where you can see them up close. ## What to see at Orsanmichele - **Ghiberti's St John the Baptist** — the first large Renaissance bronze. - **Donatello's St Mark** — a marble figure in its niche. - **Verrocchio's Incredulity of St Thomas** — two bronzes in one niche. - **Guild crests** — coloured della Robbia terracotta. - **Orcagna's tabernacle** — the marble Gothic shrine inside. - **The upstairs museum** — original statues and a city view. > **The museum and the view** The upper floors house a museum of the original statues, and its windows look out over the rooftops, the cathedral and the Palazzo Vecchio. It doesn't open every day and sometimes only by booking, so check the Bargello Museums website. If your timing works, it's one of the least crowded viewpoints in Florence. ## Inside: Orcagna's tabernacle Inside, the church is dim and rectangular; you can tell at once it was a market. Frescoes of the guilds' patron saints survive on the vaults and pillars, and some pillars still show the openings through which grain was once poured down from the stores above. The centrepiece is the huge Gothic **tabernacle** by **Andrea Orcagna** (**1355–1359**), a marble shrine decorated with carving, coloured glass mosaic and reliefs of the life of the Virgin. It frames **Bernardo Daddi**'s Madonna, the painting that replaced the old miraculous image. In the half-light the tabernacle glows like a jewel box. ## How to get to Orsanmichele 1. From [Piazza della Signoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/piazza-della-signoria), 3 minutes along Via dei Calzaiuoli. 2. From [Florence Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/florence-cathedral), 4 minutes. 3. From **Santa Maria Novella** station, 12 minutes on foot. 4. The church entrance is on Via dei Calzaiuoli. ## Tips for your visit Orsanmichele stands right on the main pedestrian street between the cathedral and Piazza della Signoria, so it fits into any walk. First go round the outside and find every niche, free and at any hour. Then step inside for the tabernacle. To see more of the original statues, pair your visit with the [Bargello](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/bargello), which holds Donatello's St George and other works that once stood in the Orsanmichele niches. Classical concerts are sometimes held in the church in the evening. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Walk round and find all 14 niches - [ ] Spot Verrocchio's Incredulity of St Thomas - [ ] Go inside to see Orcagna's tabernacle - [ ] Check whether the upstairs museum is open - [ ] Look up the evening concert listings ## Florence's churches: compare and choose Churches and basilicas in Florence rated by YesGo. - [Florence Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/florence-cathedral) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Free; dome paid - [Santa Croce](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/santa-croce) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Paid - [Santa Maria Novella](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/santa-maria-novella) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Paid - [Florence Baptistery](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/florence-baptistery) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Combined cathedral pass - [Basilica of San Lorenzo](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/san-lorenzo) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Paid - [Orsanmichele](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/orsanmichele) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Santo Spirito](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/santo-spirito) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free - [Medici Chapels](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/medici-chapels) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Paid - [San Miniato al Monte](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/san-miniato) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Brancacci Chapel](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/brancacci-chapel) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Paid, timed entry - [Giotto's Campanile](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/giottos-campanile) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Combined cathedral pass ## From the Duomo to Piazza della Signoria The cathedral, Orsanmichele, Piazza della Signoria and the Bargello: Florence's sculpture in half a day. 1. [Florence Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/florence-cathedral) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Free; dome paid 2. [Orsanmichele](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/orsanmichele) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free 3. [Piazza della Signoria](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/piazza-della-signoria) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free 4. [Bargello](https://yesgo.io/italy/florence/bargello) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Paid ## Don't mix it up Orsanmichele is a church and a museum in one building, with different entrances and hours: the church downstairs opens more often; the museum upstairs only on certain days. ## Tips - The niches outside are free, always. - Original statues are in the museum upstairs. - The museum doesn't open daily. - On the way from the Duomo to the Signoria. ## Questions ### What is Orsanmichele? A 14th-century grain market turned into the church of the city guilds, with statues of saints in niches outside. ### Which statues are at Orsanmichele? Ghiberti's St John the Baptist, Donatello's St Mark, Verrocchio's Incredulity of St Thomas, Nanni di Banco's Four Crowned Saints and more; the niches hold copies. ### Is Orsanmichele free? Entry to the church is free; check hours and terms for the upstairs museum on the Bargello Museums site. ### Where are the original Orsanmichele statues? In the museum on the building's upper floors; Donatello's St George is in the Bargello. ### How long do you need at Orsanmichele? 20 to 30 minutes, about an hour with the museum. ## How we checked History and statues from English Wikipedia. Hours and entry terms weren't confirmed with an official source — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Orsanmichele - Official Bargello Museums site, bargellomusei.it --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.