In the twenty elegant rooms of this beautiful Baroque mansion, you can admire outstanding marble sculptures from artists such as Canova and Bernini as well as world-famous paintings from Correggio, Titian, Raphael, and Caravaggio.
Only 360 people are allowed to visit the museum at once, therefore you will need to pre-book tickets well in advance.
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- Important Masterpieces: 6
- Total Masterworks of Painting: 22 (decent), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 1974 (excellent), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 23 (impressive)
- Highlight: Boy with a Basket of Fruit by Caravaggio (c. 1593), 70 cm × 67 cm (28 in × 26 in)
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This is our selection of the ten best paintings of the Galleria Borghese:
(click on the images to open in lightbox [recommended])
1) Boy with a Basket of Fruit, Caravaggio (c. 1593) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 2) Sacred and Profane Love, Titian (1514) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 3) Young Woman with Unicorn, Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) (c. 1505) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 4) Danaë, Correggio (c. 1530) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 5) Young Sick Bacchus, Caravaggio (c. 1593) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 6) The Deposition (of Christ), Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) (c. 1507) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 7) David with the Head of Goliath, Caravaggio (1606- 1607) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 8) Saint Jerome Writing, Caravaggio (c. 1606) 9) Madonna, Child and Serpent, Caravaggio (c. 1605-06) by Wikimedia / Public Domain 10) Leda and the Swan, attributed to Il Sodoma (after Leonardo da Vinci) (c. 1510-1515) by Alvesgaspar / CC BY-SA 4.0
This is our selection of the three best sculptures of the Galleria Borghese:
(click on images to open in lightbox)
1) Pauline Bonaparte, Antonio Canova (1805- 1808)
via Wikimedia / Public Domain
2) Apollo and Daphne, Gian Lorenzo Bernini (c. 1622)
by Livioandronico2013 / CC BY-SA 4.0
3) David, Gian Lorenzo Bernini (c. 1623-1624)
via Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0
Art Museum
Gallery Space: ca. 2,000 m2 (21,527 ft2)
Galleries: 20
Artworks on Display: ca. 1,000
Established: 1903
Visitors (2016): 527,937
Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 15
Official Webpage (English):
Commissioned in the 15th century by the banker Luca Pitti, this immense Renaissance palace — arguably the most impressive building in Florence — became the main residence of the Florentine rulers in the 16th century and now houses six different museums in its lavishly decorated rooms.
The most impressive of the Pitti's galleries, the Galleria Palatina, displays over 500 paintings from the private Medici collection including famous works by Raphael, Titian, Rubens, and Caravaggio.
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- Important Masterpieces: 8
- Total Masterworks of Painting: 24 (decent), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 1591 (excellent), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 27 (impressive)
- Highlight: Ezekiel's Vision, Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) (1518), 40 cm × 30 cm (16 in × 12 in)
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This is our selection of the ten best paintings of the Palazzo Pitti:
(click on the images to open in lightbox [recommended])
1) Ezekiel's Vision, Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) (1518)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
2) Three Ages of Man, Giorgione (1500-1510)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
3) Judith and her Maidservant, Artemisia Gentileschi (1619)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
4) Madonna della Seggiola (Madonna of the Chair), Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) (1514-1515)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
5) Portrait of Agnolo Doni, Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) (1506-1507)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
6) Virgin with the Child and Scenes from the Life of St Anne, Fra Filippo Lippi (c. 1452)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
7) The Four Philosophers, Peter Paul Rubens (1611)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
8) Orpheus in the Underworld, Jan Brueghel the Elder (1594)
9) Mary Magdalene, Titian (1533)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
10) Woman with a veil, Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio) (1516)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
Palace and Art Museum
Gallery Space: 32,000 m2 (344,445 ft2) (Palazzo Pitti)
Galleries: 28 (Palatine Gallery)
Artworks on Display: ca. 500 (Palatine Gallery)
Established: 1833
Visitors (2016): 400.626
Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 16
Official Webpage (English): uffizi.it/en/pitti-palace
The world-famous Terracotta Army – a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987 – is an enormous collection of ca. 8,000 life-size Terracotta sculptures in battle formations.
The Terracotta Museum consists currently of four main pits (No. 4 is empty) as well as the Hall of the two bronze chariots and horses.
This is our selection of the top 4 highlights of the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, situated 37.5 km west of Xi'an:
(click on the images to open in lightbox [recommended])
1) Pit No.1 is the largest and most impressive vault. It holds the main force of the army of around 2,000 figures.
by Legolas1024 / CC BY-SA 4.0
2) Pit No.2 contains various types of troops, including cavalrymen, archers, chariots and infantry (around 1,300 figures and 80 chariots).
by Maros / CC BY-SA 3.0
3) Pit No.3 holds a command center including well-preserved high-ranking officers and a war chariot.
by 颐园新居 / CC BY-SA 3.0
4) The Hall of the two bronze chariots and horses displays masterpieces of bronze ware.
by Jmhullot / CC BY-SA 3.0
Archaeological Museum
Gallery Space: 22,000 m2 (236,806 ft2)
Galleries: 4 pits and a hall
Artworks on Display: ca. 10,000
Established: 1979
Visitors (2018): ca. 1,500,000
Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): 120 Yuan (ca. USD 17)
Official Webpage (English): bmy.com.cn
The second most visited art museum in Italy (1,461,185 visitors in 2016) after the Uffizi, the Galleria dell'Academia is home to the world's most famous statue, Michelangelo's 5.17 m tall iconic “David”.
Furthermore, this rather small museum features various other sculptures (including the unfinished “Slaves” by Michelangelo) and a collection of not very significant paintings by Florentine artists.
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- Important Masterpieces: 1
- Highlight: Biblical David by Michelangelo (1501–1504), 517 cm × 199 cm (17 ft × 6.5 ft)
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by Rico Heil / CC BY-SA 3.0
Art Museum (Sculptures)
Gallery Space: 1,000 m2 (10,763 ft2)
Galleries: 15
Artworks on Display: ca. 500
Established: 1784
Visitors (2017): 1,623,677
Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 12
Official Webpage (English): www.galleriaaccademiafirenze.it/en/
Affectionately known as the V&A this huge museum of decorative art objects represents more than 3,000 years of human creativity.
The outstanding free permanent collection contains over 4.5 million objects, predominantly furniture, ceramics, photography, sculpture, silver, ironwork, jewelry, and paintings.
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- Highlight: Tippoo's Tiger, Artist unknown (Mysore, India, c. 1795), (Length: 178 cm, Height: 71 cm, Width: 61 cm, 70 in × 28 in × 24 in)
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This is our selection of the five best treasures of the Victoria and Albert Museum:
(click on the images to open in lightbox [recommended])
1) Tippoo's Tiger, Artist unknown (Mysore, India, c. 1795)
by Victoria and Albert Museum / CC BY-SA 3.0
2) The Cast Courts
by Ethan Doyle White / CC BY-SA 3.0
3) The Raphael Cartoons (1515)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
4) Glass Chandelier by Dale Chihuly
by Patche99z / Public Domain
5) The Great Bed of Ware (c. 1590)
by VAwebteam / CC BY-SA 3.0
Art and Archaeological Museum
Gallery Space: 30,658 m2 (330,000 ft2)
Galleries: 145
Artworks on Display: ca. 56,800
Established: 1852
Visitors (2018): 3,967,566
Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): Free
Official Webpage: vam.ac.uk/
Tate Britain, the national gallery of British art, displays the largest collection of British art in the world from 1500 to the present day in chronological order.
Highlights include masterpieces by John Everett Millais, John William Waterhouse, and J. M. W. Turner.
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- Important Masterpieces: 7
- Total Masterworks of Painting: 45 (impressive), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 993 (excellent), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 45 (excellent)
- Highlight: Ophelia by John Everett Millais (1851), 76.2 cm × 111.8 cm (30.0 in × 44.0 in)
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This is our selection of the six best paintings of the Tate Britain:
(click on the images to open in lightbox [recommended])
1) Ophelia, John Everett Millais (1851)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
2) Mariana, John Everett Millais (1888)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
3) The Lady of Shalott, John William Waterhouse (1888)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
4) Snowstorm (Steamboat off a Harbour's Mouth), J. M. W. Turner (1842)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
5) John Constable, Flatford Mill (Scene on a Navigable River)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
6) The Awakening Conscience, William Holman Hunt (1853)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
Art Museum
Gallery Space: ca. 6,000 m2 (64,583 ft2)
Galleries: 38
Artworks on Display: ca. 4,000
Established: 1897
Visitors (2018): 1,272,523
Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): Free
Official Webpage: https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain
Housed inside a Gothic palazzo, the Bargello National Museum is home to a fabulous collection of Renaissance sculptures including famous masterpieces in marble or bronze by Michelangelo, Donatello, Giambologna, and Cellini.
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- Important Masterpieces: 5
- Highlight: David by Donatello (1440), Height: 158 cm (62.2 in)
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This is our selection of the seven best sculptures of the Bargello National Museum:
(click on the images to open in lightbox [recommended])
1) David, Donatello (1440)
by Patrick A. Rodgers / CC BY-SA 2.0
2) Bacchus, Michelangelo (1496–1497)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
3) Tondo Pitti, Michelangelo (c. 1503-1505)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
4) Mercure, Giambologna (1563)
by Rufus46 / CC BY-SA 3.0
5) David, Andrea del Verrocchio (1466–c. 1469)
by Rufus46 / CC BY-SA 3.0
6) The Fisher Boy, Vincenzo Gemito (1874-1876)
7) Brutus, Michelangelo (1539)
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
Art Museum (mainly Sculptures)
Gallery Space: 2,000 m2 (21,527 ft2)
Galleries: 18
Artworks on Display: ca. 1,000
Established: 1865
Visitors (2015): 238,713
World Heritage Site: Since 1982
Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 11
Official Webpage (English): bargellomusei.beniculturali.it
Inaugurated in 2009, this ultra-modern airy glass-and-concrete museum, located at the foot of the Acropolis houses countless masterpieces of ancient Greek art from the world-famous ancient citadel.
Not-to-be-missed highlights of the magnificent collection include stunning reliefs and sculptures that once ran around the top of the Parthenon, a relief of Athena Nike, the original caryatids of the Erechtheion temple, and the second-floor restaurant, which offers wonderful panoramic views.
Archaeological Museum
Gallery Space: 14,000 m2 (150,694 ft2)
Galleries: 20
Artworks on Display: ca. 4,000
Established: 2009
Visitors (2017): 1,475,022
Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 10
Official Webpage (English): theacropolismuseum.gr/en
Archaeological Museum
Gallery Space: 12,540 m2 (134,979 ft2)
Galleries: 6
Artworks on Display: ca. 150, mainly the ship Vasa
Established: 1990
Visitors (2017): 1,495,760
Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): SEK 150 (ca. USD 15,50)
Official Webpage (English): vasamuseet.se/en
Originally an academy, this museum on the Grand Canal is home to the most important collection of 15th-18th-century Venetian paintings in the world.
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- Important Masterpieces: 8
- Total Masterworks of Painting: 35 (impressive), All Ranks of the Top 5 Paintings Added (low score is better): 1296 (excellent), Mentions of the Top 5 Paintings in Influential Art Books: 47 (world-class)
- Highlight: Drawing of Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci (ca. 1490), 34 × 24 cm (13 in × 9.4 in), displayed to the public only occasionally
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This is our selection of the ten best paintings of the Gallerie dell'Accademia:
(Click on the images to open in lightbox [recommended])
1) Drawing of Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci (ca. 1490), 34 × 24 cm, displayed to the public only occasionally
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
2) The Tempest, Giorgione (1508), 83 × 73 cm
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
3) Feast in the House of Levi, Paolo Veronese (1537), 555 × 1280 cm
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
4) San Giobbe Altarpiece, Giovanni Bellini (1487), 371 × 258 cm
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
5) Adam and Eve, Tintoretto (1550), 150 × 220 cm
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
6) Dream of St. Ursula, Vittore Carpaccio (1495), 274 × 267 cm
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
7) The Miracle of the True Cross near San Lorenzo Bridge, Giovanni Bellini (1500), 323 cm × 430 cm
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
8) Pieta, Titian (1575-1576), 353 × 348 cm
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
9) Creation of the Animals, Tintoretto (1550-1553), 151 × 256 cm
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
10) The scourge of Snakes (Castigo dei serpenti), Giambattista Tiepolo (1732–35), 164 cm × 1,356 cm
by Wikimedia / Public Domain
Art and Archaeological Museum
Gallery Space: 6,000 m2 (64,583 ft2)
Galleries: 80
Artworks on Display: ca. 800
Established: 1750
Visitors (2017): 316,995
Entrance Fee (for 1 Adult): EUR 12
Official Webpage (English): gallerieaccademia.it/en
This was part 3 (#21–30) of our list of the best museums in the world in 2024.
Click on the following links to discover part 1 (#1–10), part 2 (#11–20), part 3 (#21–30), part 4 (#31–40), and part 5 (#41–60).
Please check out also the results of our analysis to determine the best cities in the world to visit as a tourist in 2024 and our elaborated list of the best aquariums in the world in 2024.
We also created a video of the Top 50 Cities in the World in 2024 (ranked by 14 criteria):
