Orsanmichele This fourteenth century building had served in several capacities--as a granery, a church, and a guild meeting headquarters. One of Florence's most important civic art programs was the decoration of the niches on the exterior--although progress lagged initially. Each of the niches was to be occupied with sculpture supplied by an assigned guild. Typically, the patron saint of the guild would be represented. Today, all of the original sculptures have been removed and replaced with copies, the originals residing in the Bargello or the museum of Orsanmichele.
Sculptural Works from the niches include: Christ and St. Thomas by Verrocchio Four Crowned Saints and the relief at the base of the pinnacle by Nanni di Banco St. George and the relief at the base of the pinnacle by Donatello St. John the Baptist by Ghiberti St. Luke by Giovanni Bologna (Giambologna) St. Mark by Donatello St. Philip by Nanni di Banco

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Page created by Mary Ann Sullivan