With Thanksgiving approaching, we reflect on the values this holiday upholds, such as generosity, solidarity and respect. Florence has had a long history of caring for its weakest, but very few may know that a whole museum is dedicated to this activity, and it’s located only a few steps from the Duomo.
The Museo della Misericordia (Museum of Mercy) gives visitors a chance to learn about the charitable history of Florence from 1244 to today. The Misericordia’s role was vital in a world where the concept of welfare, let alone a welfare state, was inconceivable. They took care of aspects such as assisting prisoners, transporting sick and wounded people to city hospitals, managing lazarettos, and attributing dowries to impoverished young girls, so they could get married or enter the convent.
The 600 square-metre museum shows tangible signs of local gratitude through various donations: artworks, medical instruments and tools such as the cataletto, the very first stretcher to carry the sick around the city. Prestigious works by important artists such as Santi di Tito and Giovanni Antonio Sogliani can be admired, as well as paintings dated from Caravaggio’s time (Christ among the Elders by Dirck Van Baburen) through the contemporary age with Piero Annigoni and Elisabeth Chaplin. The museum has conserved these artworks with care and love, as a sign of respect towards the memory of its benefactors.
Two figures in the museum display the Archconfraternity’s distinctive black uniform. Despite their ghastly appearance, which can bring to mind a more recent (and still terrifying) uniform, the reason behind this attire is more empathetic than one might think. Many prominent citizens were part of the Misericordia, and, during visits to the ill, it was important not to be recognized to avoid social pressure during the interaction and give the patient the necessary care without the burden of reverence. As the brotherhood grew with time, some contributions to the city stood out for their charitable purpose: around 1352, the Misericordia commissioned the construction of the Loggia del Bigallo, at the corner of Piazza Duomo and via dei Calzaiuoli. The open loggia was designed to shelter unwanted infants and children who were abandoned to the care of the archconfraternity.
A small section of the museum is dedicated to the crucial role of the Archconfraternity during the Great Plague of 1348, with visual representations of the disease and the contributions of its brothers to the care of the ill.
Two of the museum’s windows facing the Duomo and the Baptistery are the perfect observation spot to understand and embrace the spirit of this location. Seeing the continuous stream of people underneath this sheltered place can offer the perspective that, although seemingly disconnected from one another, humans are united when fragility dawns on the mind, prompting us to rethink our role in the bigger picture.
The Museo della Misericordia is part of the Firenzecard circuit, the Official Pass for Florence, which gives you access to 60+ museums and cultural sites, and whose mission is to promote lesser-known parts of the city for a truly unique experience during your stay.
