The frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel (Santa Maria del Carmine) are to be considered - especially thanks to the extraordinary artistic revolution introduced by Masaccio - among the highest expressions of the Renaissance painting.
The decoration of this chapel, built before 1386 in the right arm of the church transept, was begun around 1423 by Masolino and Masaccio with frescoes depicting episodes from the Life of St. Peter, and completed around 1485 by Filippino Lippi.
In the frescoes, the differences between the three authors are clear: Masolino's figures, elegant and still linked to late Gothic culture, contrast with the solidity, the profound humanity of the characters, and the rigorous perspective of the scenes frescoed by Masaccio; while Filippino Lippi, who is mainly responsible for the right wall, adapts figures and architectural elements to the severity of Masaccio's frescoes.
In the mid 15th century, the chapel was dedicated to the Madonna del Popolo and the altarpiece depicting the Madonna and Child, by an anonymous 13th century Florentine painter, was placed there.
Cappella Brancacci
Piazza del Carmine, 14, 50124 Firenze FI, Italia
Notice!!! From February 2022 the frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel have been undertaking an important restoration which is going to last for about one year; visits have to be booked and it is possible to look closely at the paintings thanks to the scaffolding. Soon an elevator will be available to allow people with motor impairments to access the scaffolding and visit the Chapel. For more information please check the official site: cultura.comune.fi.it.
Access to the Brancacci Chapel is possible through a museum route that goes from the square to the Cloister and the Sala Capitolare. Thanks to the elevator, people in wheelchairs can easily access the chapel from the cloister. All the museum rooms that open out onto the cloister are fully accessible. Disabled toilets are in the cloister on the ground floor.
MUS.E Association regularly organizes guided tours and workshops in the Brancacci Chapel and in the other City Museums of Florence for special audiences with visual or hearing impairments and people with intellectual disorders or senile decay. These activities are designed for the specific needs of any of them, to make the museum experience immersive, relevant and enjoyable for all. For information and booking: info@musefirenze.it ; + 39 055-2768224.
