The museum at Florence’s Misericordia – which originally opened in 2005 – reopened after two years of renovation. The new museum chronicles nearly 800 years of the charitable institution’s history with 14 rooms of art, everyday items, furniture and manuscripts. Among prominent paintings on display are St. Jerome the Penitent by Pietro Annigoni, St. John the Baptist by Carlo Dolci and Christ Amongst the Doctors by Dirck van Baburen. The museum also plans to screen films such as one showing the Misericordia’s role in helping patients affected by the plague in the 14th century.
Among the world’s oldest charities, the Misericordia was founded in 1244 to subsidize medical costs for those in need, bury the poor, provide dowries for impoverished girls, and relieve people of the burden of debt. It has continually operated since its founding, and when the plague struck Florence in the 1300s, the Misericordia helped transport sick people to hospitals. Today, the institution’s main services are food and medical aid, family planning, social services for the elderly and civil defense.
Admission is free, and the museum is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to noon and 3 to 5 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.
By Kathy McCabe
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