In this three and a half hour walk with an art historian, we will follow the career of Michelangelo, discussing his early years and career under the patronage of the Medici family while viewing key works in the Bargello Museum and Accademia Gallery.

This tour is designed to give us a chance to explore in-depth the work and artistic legacy of Michelangelo, whose impact on the Florentine Renaissance and art history in general cannot be overstated. We’ll begin at the Casa Buonarroti, a house purchased by the artist for his family, now converted into a small museum of drawings and early sculptures. Here, in this relatively unknown museum, we will spend some time laying out the important themes that resonate through his work. Next, we'll move to the Bargello Museum, a former Medieval-era prison, which contains one of the most important sculpture collections in the world. We’ll explore the vast holdings and view several of Michelangelo's works, including the Bacchus. We will also spend some time with the works of other related artists, in order to try to develop the context that surrounded Michelangelo's work. 

Lastly, we will move on to the Galleria dell'Accademia, which houses Michelangelo's masterpiece and consummate symbol of the Florentine Renaissance, the Statue of David. As we bask in its aura, we’ll examine this important statue and related works and wrap up our tour by discussing Michelangelo's later career in Rome, culminating in the painting of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.

Want to see more Renaissance masterpieces? Try our Uffizi Tour.

For more information about Context tours, please visit our FAQs.

Book with confidence — see Context's flexible cancellation policy here.

We meet at Casa Buonarroti end at the Galleria dell'Accademia. Your confirmation email will have the exact meeting point details along with a map.

Both tours include a visit to the Accademia Gallery to see Michelangelo's David.  Introduction to Florence is a more general tour touching on all aspects of the Renaissance,while the Michelangelo Tour is a deep dive into the artist and his life. 

Although admission is free for those under 18, you would have to wait in a separate line upon arrival to prove your child’s age. We typically purchase tickets for everyone on the tour, so that we may bypass this line, which can be quite long, and have more time in the museum.

It’s not. If you’re interested in the Uffizi Gallery, we highly recommend you book our Uffizi Gallery Tour: Crash Course. 

For this tour, your tickets are pre-purchased which allows you to skip the ticket office line upon arrival at the museum. You may still have to wait in a security line or in a line to have your pre-purchased ticket scanned.   

While your Firenze Card will cover the cost of your ticket to the Accademia, you will still need to pay a €4 booking fee. Please note that if you have ordered a Firenze Card, you must pick it up yourself in advance of your tour; as it is issued in your name, our expert guides are not able to retrieve it for you. You must bring your Firenze Card with you on tour in order to use it to enter the Accademia.