We have until the end of January to visit Fra’ Angelico exhibition in Florence at Palazzo Strozzi. It’s a not-to-be-missed event of this year.From September 26, 2025, to January 25, 2026, the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and the Museo di San Marco present “Angelico”, an extraordinary exhibition dedicated to Fra’ Giovanni da Fiesole, known as Fra’ Angelico, a symbol of Renaissance art in Florence. It’s an extraordinary and unrepeatable exhibition dedicated to the artist who better symbolizes 15th-century art and stands among the greatest masters of Italian art of all time. The Fra’ Angelico exhibition in Florence brings together exceptional masterpieces. It also feature loans from major museums worldwide, including the Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery in Washington, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “Angelico” is the first major event in Florence dedicated to the artist in over 70 years. Actually, the last show dedicated to him was in 1955 in Rome. Indeed, it offers a unique opportunity to explore his absolute quality and his innovative artistic approach, rooted in a deep sense of religiosity and meditation on the sacred in connection with the human. Across the two venues, the exhibition brings together over 140 works, between Palazzo Strozzi and San Marco Convent.
Fra’ Angelico, between Gothic and Renaissance
The Fra’ Angelico exhibition in Florence also explores his relationships with painters such as Lorenzo Monaco, Masaccio, and Filippo Lippi, and sculptors like Lorenzo Ghiberti, Michelozzo, and Luca della Robbia. It’s curated by Carl Brandon Strehlke, Curator Emeritus of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Fra’ Angelico (Guido di Piero, later Fra Giovanni da Fiesole; Vicchio di Mugello, c. 1395 – Rome, 1455) was a Florentine Dominican friar with a great talent for painting who lived between the 14th and 15th centuries. He saw painting as a mean to illustrate scenes from the Gospel. Furthermore, his purpose was to use art to teach through images and contribute to the salvation of souls. The light he used in his depictions has a mystical value, expressing divine grace and beauty. His style is actually often defined as “painting of light”. In Fra’ Angelico the medieval tradition was still alive, emphasizing golden backgrounds and precious fabrics. In the 15th century, Renaissance culture prevailed instead, and realism and perspective triumphed in art. This blend of styles is reflected in Fra’ Angelico’s unique artistic approach.
Fra’ Angelico exhibition in Florence: San Marco Convent
In 1440, Cosimo the Elder of the Medici family decided to entrust him with the decoration of the Florentine Convent of San Marco. This was part of a major artistic project carried out but the Medici bank in order to de-stigmatize their money lending activity, seen as usury by the Church. The result of this decoration is a masterpiece that involves all areas of the convent, including the friars’ cells. The museum occupies the monumental part of the Dominican Convent of San Marco, designed by the architect Michelozzo, commissioned by Cosimo de’ Medici and built between 1437 and 1443. It houses the world’s largest collection of works by Beato Angelico, who worked in the convent between 1438 and 1445. The museum visit unfolds through the magnificent spaces of the convent — the Cloister of Sant’Antonino, the Hospice Hall, the Refectory, the Chapter House, and the monks’ cells. The museum areas coexist with the adjoining Church of San Marco and with parts of the Cloister of San Domenico that are still reserved for monastic life. On the convent’s upper floor are the frescoes that decorate the monks’ cells, painted by Fra’ Angelico between 1438 and 1445.
Definitely a not-to-be-missed event if you will be in Florence during the off-season! Why don’t you combine a walking tour and Fra’Angelico exhibition in Florence? Send me an email and let’s create your customized tour in Florence!
