The Museum is located in the monumental complex designed by Filippo Brunelleschi, the seat of the Istituto degli Innocenti of which the Museum is a part.

Created to exhibit the works of art of the ancient Spedale, a large centre for children without families, the Museum has been transformed into a route that allows visitors to discover a cultural heritage that is unique in the world because it is deeply linked to the work carried out in favour of children.

The route is divided between art, history and architecture, composing a story that links the past and the present of the Istituto degli Innocenti, which has been committed to promoting children’s rights for six centuries. The unity between the works of art, architecture and documentary memory bears witness to an uninterrupted history of welcoming and helping children and families: a continuity between the old Spedale and the Institute, now a Public Personal Services Agency (PSA) committed to promoting the rights of children and adolescents through the management of educational and reception services and training, research and documentation activities.