Florence's essential sculpture museum, housed in a 13th-century palace that served as the city's prison and courthouse before becoming a museum. Houses Donatello's two bronze Davids, Michelangelo's early works (including Bacchus and Brutus), and Ghiberti's and Brunelleschi's famous competition panels for the Baptistery doors — both submitted in 1401, both now displayed side by side.
Far less crowded than the Uffizi or Accademia. Allow 1–1.5 hours. The courtyard alone, a beautiful arcaded space with the city's original coats of arms on the walls, is worth the entrance fee.