Donatello (c. 1386–1466) reinvented sculpture across Florence, Padua, Siena, and Prato. His bronze David, the Gattamelata equestrian monument, and the St. George are scattered across museums, churches, and public piazzas. This page maps every major location so you can plan a focused trip, from the Bargello's ground-floor gallery to the High Altar of the Basilica del Santo in Padua.
Use the interactive map to see exactly where each work is located, then follow the city-page links for detailed visit planning with booking information and walking routes.
ⓘ Opening hours and admission prices listed on this page are indicative and subject to change. Always verify current information on the official website of each venue before your visit.
The Bargello holds the largest single collection of Donatello sculpture. The ground-floor Sala di Donatello contains the bronze David (c. 1440, the first free-standing nude male sculpture since antiquity), the marble David (1408–09), St. George and the Dragon base relief (c. 1417, a pioneering example of rilievo schiacciato), the marble St. George, the Marzocco lion, and the bronze bust of Niccolò da Uzzano. Upstairs: the Attys–Amorino bronze. Allow at least 1.5 hours.
The exterior niches hold copies of Donatello's St. George, St. Mark (1411–13), and St. Louis of Toulouse. The upper-floor museum (open limited hours, usually Monday) displays some original statues and tabernacles. The building also contains Verrocchio's Incredulity of St. Thomas and Ghiberti's St. John the Baptist. Check opening hours before visiting, as the museum level is often closed.
Houses Donatello's wooden Magdalene Penitent (c. 1453–55, one of his most striking late works), the marble Cantoria (singing gallery, 1431–38), the prophet Habakkuk ("lo Zuccone"), and several other prophets originally from the Campanile niches. The museum also displays Ghiberti's original Gates of Paradise panels. Allow 1.5–2 hours.
The Old Sacristy (Sagrestia Vecchia), designed by Brunelleschi, contains Donatello's bronze doors with paired saints and martyrs, tondi of the Evangelists, and stucco roundels of scenes from the life of St. John. In the nave: two late bronze pulpits (c. 1460–66), Donatello's final major works, left unfinished at his death and completed by pupils. The Passion scenes on these pulpits are among the most emotionally intense reliefs in Renaissance art.
The Uffizi is not primarily a Donatello destination, but the sculpture corridors include attributed works. The 2022 Donatello exhibition brought several loans here temporarily. For a Donatello-focused Florence visit, prioritize the Bargello and Museo dell'Opera del Duomo first.
Donatello worked in Padua from 1443 to 1453. The High Altar of the Basilica del Santo holds his seven bronze statues (including the Madonna with Child, St. Francis, St. Anthony) and four large narrative bronze reliefs of the Miracles of St. Anthony of Padua. The bronze Crucifix hangs in the nave. These works represent Donatello's most ambitious sculptural program and are free to visit. Outside the basilica, in Piazza del Santo, stands the Equestrian Monument to Gattamelata (1447–53), the first large-scale equestrian bronze since antiquity.
The archaeological and art museum complex holds a few Donatello-related pieces. The real reason to visit is the Scrovegni Chapel (Giotto's frescoes, 1303–05), which requires advance booking (at least 2–3 weeks ahead in summer). If you are in Padua for Donatello, pair the Basilica del Santo with the Scrovegni Chapel for a full day of early Renaissance art.
Contains Donatello's bronze panel of the Feast of Herod (c. 1427), originally made for the Baptistery font. The Baptistery itself (Battistero di San Giovanni, beneath the Duomo) holds the font with reliefs by Donatello, Ghiberti, and Jacopo della Quercia. A combined OPA SI PASS covers entry to both.
The exterior pulpit on the cathedral corner (Pulpito del Sacro Cingolo, c. 1428–38, with Michelozzo) features Donatello's dancing putti reliefs. The originals were moved to the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo di Prato; the outdoor pulpit now shows copies. A quick half-day trip from Florence.
The V&A holds the Chellini Madonna (c. 1456), a unique bronze roundel given by Donatello to his physician Giovanni Chellini, plus the Ascension with Christ Giving the Keys to St. Peter marble relief. Both are in the Medieval & Renaissance galleries (rooms 50a and 12). Free entry, no booking needed.
The Kunstkammer Wien section includes a small number of attributed Donatello bronzes and workshop pieces. Combine with the Picture Gallery upstairs (Titian, Vermeer, Caravaggio) for a full visit.
All four sites are within a 15-minute walk of each other in central Florence. Start at the Bargello (bronze David, St. George relief), walk to Orsanmichele (St. Mark niche), continue to the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Magdalene Penitent, Cantoria, Habakkuk), and finish at San Lorenzo (Old Sacristy bronzes, late pulpits). One full day is enough.
The Basilica del Santo's High Altar holds Donatello's most complex multi-figure bronze program. Step outside to see the Gattamelata, the first monumental equestrian bronze since Marcus Aurelius. Entry to the basilica is free. Combine with the Scrovegni Chapel (book 2–3 weeks ahead) for a full day of early Renaissance art in Padua.
The Bargello rarely sells out but timed-entry saves queuing. The Museo dell'Opera del Duomo is included in the Brunelleschi Pass (valid 72 hours, covers Cupola, Baptistery, Campanile, and Museum). San Lorenzo charges separate entry. In Padua, no booking is needed for the Basilica del Santo. Book Bargello tickets here.
Four major Donatello sites within walking distance: Bargello (bronze David, St. George), Orsanmichele, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Magdalene Penitent, Cantoria), and San Lorenzo (Old Sacristy, late pulpits). The Florence city page covers all museums, opening hours, and walking routes.
Donatello spent a decade in Padua (1443–53), producing the Basilica del Santo's High Altar bronzes and the Gattamelata monument. The Padua page also covers the Scrovegni Chapel and the Eremitani complex.
Michelangelo studied Donatello's pulpits at San Lorenzo and his stiacciato technique at the Bargello. Follow the sculptural lineage from the Bargello's David to the Accademia's David, both in Florence.
In the Bargello museum, Florence, ground floor, Sala di Donatello. The marble David (1408–09) is in the same room. Book Bargello tickets.
The Bargello is less crowded than the Uffizi and rarely sells out, but booking timed-entry online saves queuing time, especially from April to October and on weekends.
The Basilica di Sant'Antonio (Basilica del Santo) holds the High Altar bronzes and the Crucifix. Outside in the piazza stands the Gattamelata equestrian monument. Entry to the basilica is free; the Gattamelata is visible at any time.
One full day in Florence covers the Bargello, Orsanmichele, Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, and San Lorenzo (all within walking distance). Half a day in Padua covers the Basilica del Santo and the Gattamelata. A combined trip takes 2–3 days.
No. The original marble St. George and the base relief (St. George and the Dragon) were moved to the Bargello for conservation. Orsanmichele displays a bronze copy in the exterior niche. Visit the Bargello's Sala di Donatello to see the originals.
From the flat stiacciato relief on the St. George base to the violent energy of the San Lorenzo pulpits, Donatello's career tracks fifty years of sculptural experimentation in bronze, marble, terracotta, and wood. His works sit in the specific churches, piazzas, and museums that commissioned them. The map returns each piece to its place.