Galleria degli Affreschi

Together with the Prior's Rooms, located along the inner quadrangle of the architectural complex of theIstituto degli Innocenti, above the Cortile degli uomini, the Gallery has served various functions over the centuries, hosting uffici and other activities of the administration.

In 1971, a nucleus of detached sinopites and frescoes received on deposit by the Soprintendenza alla Gallerie Fiorentine-now the Uffizi Galleries-following the Florence Flood of 1966 were placed there. A total of 28 works are kept in the Gallery: 27 detached sinopias and frescoes on deposit and the Dispute of Saint Catherine of Alexandria with Philosophers by Bernardino Poccetti owned by the Institute. Many of these works, which date from around the 13th to the 18th century, had until then been kept at the Cenacolo di San Salvatore in Ognissanti and, after the Flood, were restored and entrusted to the Institute, in conjunction with the relocation and reorganization of the Museo degli Innocenti on the second floor, of which they became an integral part.

The Gallery's exhibition itinerary now follows a mainly chronological and thematic order, with a layout that enhances the presence of the collection and encourages a close view of the works, thanks in part to their placement on the wall at a 'lowered' height, but preserves, where possible, the previous placements as evidence of the reading offered by time. The information panels created to accompany the visit narrate the spaces and works, dwelling on two particularly significant nuclei (consisting of the pictorial cycle from the second half of the 16th century by Alessandro Allori and workshop, and two valuable wall paintings by Lorenzo Monaco dated to the early 15th century), with in-depth explanations of the techniques used in the creation and restoration of the fresco.