Sunday, October 9th, 2016, hours 9-18
Free admission from n° 6 Station Square (p.zza Stazione)
The Brigadieri and Carabinieri school, which occupied for nearly a century a large portion of the site of Santa Maria Novella has recently moved to new premises in Castello (Florence).
Many spaces occupied by the Mameli academy (over 20,000 sqm), among which are included some of the most important rooms of the old Dominican convent, will be integrated in the future visiting spaces of the monumental complex of Santa Maria Novella: the Basilica, Cloister of the Dead, the Green Cloister, the Spanish Chapel, the Chapel of Ubriachi (literally drunkards), the Refectory, the great Cloister, the Chapel of the Pope Leo X and the ancient convent dormitories will be all part of a unique and massive museum.
The Municipality of Florence in collaboration with Muse and FAI (Italian Environment Fund), intends to offer a preview of the future museum expansion, opening to the general public the Great Cloister and the northern dormitory next Sunday, October 9th, 2016, opening from 9.00 to 18.00 (last admission 17.30), with free access from Piazza Stazione n° 6.
It will be a wonderful opportunity to visit unknown and inaccessible places to visitors. For the occasion, the students of High School "A. Gramsci", the FAI Delegation of Florence, and the FAI’s Youngs group will provide historical and artistic information of these precious environments.
With great historical and artistic importance these spaces will be open to the public, beginning from the fourteenth century Great Cloister (Chiostro Grande). So called “great” because of its monumental size, made up of 56 bays, home to an extraordinary cycle of frescoes painted mostly in the sixteenth century by the major painters of the florentine academy, including Alessandro Allori, Santi di Tito and Poccetti .
You may visit also the suggestive Dormitory bordering the northern side of the Great Cloister, built within the first decades of the fourteenth century, which is characterized by the majesty of the environment animated by two sequences of slender pillars that support cross vaults; on its walls are preserved some of the original painted decoration which covered the surfaces.
We are looking forward to see you at the opening!
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