Bargello

The word bargello appears to come from the late Latin bargillus (from Gothic bargi and German burg), meaning "castle" or "fortified tower".

[2] In 1479 Bernardo Bandini Baroncelli, one of the movers of the Pazzi conspiracy against the Medici family was hanged from the building, an event witnessed and sketched by Leonardo da Vinci.

It was employed as a prison; executions took place in the Bargello's courtyard until they were abolished by Grand Duke Peter Leopold in 1786, but it remained the headquarters of the Florentine police until 1859.

The museum has both the modelli of the finalists' designs for The Sacrifice of Isaac (Sacrificio di Isacco), for the contest for the second set of doors of the Florence Baptistery in 1400.

Other sculptures include Jacopo Sansovino's Bacchus,[5] the David and Dama col mazzolino by Andrea del Verrocchio.

[4][6][7][8] and by Antonio Rossellino, Bartolomeo Ammannati, Bertoldo di Giovanni, Baccio Bandinelli, and most other Florentine masters of the period.

[5] The final phase of the Renaissance is represented by Giambologna's marble Florence Triumphant over Pisa, Architecture,[9] The Dwarf Morgante Riding a Sea Monster, and his Mercury.

In the decorative arts, the museum has a fine collection of ceramics, especially maiolica, textiles, tapestries, ivory, nielli, medals, silver, armour and coins.

The Islamic Hall at the Bargello was set up in 1982 by Marco Spallanzani and Giovanni Curatola at the direction of Paola Barocchi and Giovanna Gaeta Bertelà, then the director.