FLORENCE - From September 26, 2025, to January 25, 2026, the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi and the Museo di San Marco present Fra Angelico, an extraordinary and unprecedented exhibition devoted to an artist who symbolises fifteenth-century Florentine art and stands out as one of the greatest masters of Italian art of all time.

The exhibition, organized in collaboration between the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, the Ministero della Cultura – Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Toscana and Museo di San Marco in a close dialogue between cultural institutions and the region, is one of the leading cultural events of 2025. It celebrates a father of the Renaissance in two venues: the Palazzo Strozzi and the Museo di San Marco.

The exhibition explores Fra Angelico’s art, development and influence and his relation to painters such as Lorenzo Monaco, Masaccio, and Filippo Lippi, as well as sculptors like Lorenzo Ghiberti, Michelozzo, and Luca della Robbia. Curated by Carl Brandon Strehlke, Curator Emeritus of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, with – for the Museo di San Marco – Angelo Tartuferi, former Director of the Museo di San Marco, and Stefano Casciu, Regional Director of Musei nazionali Toscana, Fra Angelico marks the first major exhibition in Florence dedicated to the artist exactly seventy years after the monographic show of 1955, creating a unique dialogue between institutions and the region.

Renowned for a style that evolved from a late Gothic legacy while embracing the principles of the emerging Renaissance, Fra Angelico (Guido di Piero, Fra Giovanni da Fiesole; Vicchio di Mugello c. 1395– Rome 1455) created paintings celebrated for their mastery of perspective and light, shaping an unprecedented and innovative relationship between figures and space. The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to explore extraordinary artistic vision of this friar painter deeply rooted in religious devotion, centred on a reflection of the sacred in relation to the human.

The exhibition brings together more than 140 works of art across the two venues that include paintings, drawings, sculptures, and illuminated manuscripts from leading institutions such as the Louvre in Paris, the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Vatican Museums, the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and numerous libraries, churches, and collections both in Italy and internationally.

The result of over four years of preparation, the project has enabled an undertaking of exceptional scholarly and cultural importance, thanks also to an extensive campaign of restorations and the singular opportunity to reunite altarpieces that were disassembled and dispersed over two hundred years ago.

Fra Angelico is promoted and organized by Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Ministero della Cultura – Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Toscana and the Museo di San Marco.
Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi Public Supporters: Comune di Firenze, Regione Toscana, Città Metropolitana di Firenze, Camera di Commercio di Firenze.
Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi Private Supporters: Fondazione CR Firenze, Fondazione Hillary Merkus Recordati, Comitato dei Partner di Palazzo Strozzi.
Main Partner: Intesa Sanpaolo.

Lorenzo Monaco (Piero di Giovanni; Don Lorenzo), Siena, c. 1370–c. 1424 Florence & Fra Angelico (Guido di Piero; Fra Giovanni da Fiesole) Vicchio di Mugello c. 1395–1455 Rome, Strozzi Altarpiece, c. 1421–24; c. 1430–32, tempera and gold on panel, 277 x 283 cm (overall), Florence, Museo di San Marco, inv. 1890, no. 8509 (main section). Photo credits: courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Toscana - Museo di San Marco

Fra Angelico, Last Judgment, c. 1425–28, tempera and gold on panel, 109 x 212.5 cm, Florence, Museo di San Marco, inv. 1890, no. 8505. Photo credits: courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Toscana - Museo di San Marco

Fra Angelico, Last Judgment (detail), c. 1425–28, tempera and gold on panel, 109 x 212.5 cm, Florence, Museo di San Marco, inv. 1890, no. 8505. Photo credits: courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Toscana - Museo di San Marco

Fra Angelico, Altarpiece of the Compagnia di San Francesco in Santa Croce, called the Franciscan Triptych, Saints Jerome and John the Baptist, with the Annunciate Angel; Virgin and Child, with the Trinity; Saints Francis of Assisi and Onuphrius, with the Virgin Annunciate, 1428-29, tempera, gold, and silver on panel, 170 × 76.7 cm; 188.7 × 81.8 cm; 170.4 × 76.5 cm. Florence, Museo di San Marco, inv. 1890, no. 8496. Photo credits: courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Opificio delle Pietre Dure

Fra Angelico, Franciscan Triptych, Virgin and Child, with the Trinity (central panel), 1428-29, tempera, gold, and silver on panel, 170 × 76.7 cm; 188.7 × 81.8 cm; 170.4 × 76.5 cm. Florence, Museo di San Marco, inv. 1890, no. 8496. Photo credits: courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Opificio delle Pietre Dure

Fra Angelico, Franciscan Triptych: Predella panel Trial by Fire before the Sultan, 1428–29, tempera and gold on panel, 27 × 31.4 cm, Altenburg, Lindenau Museum, inv. 91. Photo credits: © Lindenau-Museum Altenburg, photo: Punctum/Bertram Kober.

Fra Angelico, Franciscan Triptych: Predella panel Meeting of Saints Dominic and Francis of Assisi, 1428–29, tempera and gold on panel, 27.7 × 32.6 cm. Berlin, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Gemäldegalerie, inv. 61. Photo credits: Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin / Christoph Schmidt; Public Domain Mark 1.0

Fra Angelico, Reliquary Tabernacles of Santa Maria Novella, Funeral and Assumption of the Virgin, early 1430s, tempera and gold on panel, 61.8 × 38.3 cm, Boston, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, inv. P15w34

Fra Angelico, San Marco Altarpiece. Main section: Virgin and Child Enthroned, with Eight Angels and Saints Lawrence, John the Evangelist, Mark, Dominic, Francis of Assisi, Peter Martyr, and Cosmas and Damian, and the Crucifixion with the Mourning Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist, 1438-42. Tempera and gold on panel, 228 × 235 cm. Florence, Museo di San Marco, inv. 1890, no. 8506. Photo credits: courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Opificio delle Pietre Dure

Fra Angelico, San Marco Altarpiece:, Predella panel Attempted Burning at the Stake of Saints Cosmas and Damian and Their Brothers, tempera and gold on panel, 37.8 × 46.4 cm, Dublin, National Gallery of Ireland, inv. NGI.242. Photo credits: Photo National Gallery of Ireland. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 International

Fra Angelico, San Marco Altarpiece: Predella panel The Entombment, tempera and gold on panel, 37.9 × 46.6 cm, Munich, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen München – Wittelsbacher Ausgleichsfonds, WAF 38a Photo credits: Photo Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen München

Fra Angelico, San Marco Altarpiece: Predella panel The Miracle of the Black Leg. Tempera and gold on panel, 37 × 45 cm. Firenze, Museo di San Marco, inv. 1890, no. 8495. Photo credits: courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Toscana – Museo di San Marco

Fra Angelico, San Marco Altarpiece: Pilaster panel Holy Pilgrim (Saint Roch?), tempera and gold on panel, cm 38.9 × 13.8. Altenburg, Lindenau-Museum Altenburg, inv. 92c. Photo credits: © Lindenau-Museum Altenburg,

Fra Angelico, Silhouetted Head of Saint Francis of Assisi, c.1427–30, tempera and gold on panel, 70.5 × 48.9 cm. Philadelphia Museum of Art, John G. Johnson Collection, inv. 1917, cat. 14. Photo credits: Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Fra Angelico, Virgin of Humility, with Five Angels, c. 1425, tempera and gold on panel, 98.6 × 49.2 cm. Barcelona, Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, on long term loan from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Madrid inv. 7 (1986.10) Photo credits: © Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

Fra Angelico, Christ as King of Kings, c. 1447–50, tempera and gold on panel, 55.3 × 38.7 cm. Livorno, cathedral of San Francesco, inv. 00501628. Photo credits: Bridgeman Images

Fra Angelico and workshop, Montecarlo Annunciation Altarpiece Annunciation with the Expulsion from Paradise; The Prophet Isaiah (roundel) Marriage of the Virgin; Visitation, Adoration of the Magi; Presentation in the Temple; and Dormition of the Virgin (predella), c. 1432–35, tempera and gold on panel, 195 × 158 cm (main section); 16 × 30 cm (each predella scene). San Giovanni Valdarno, Museo della Basilica di Santa Maria delle Grazie. Photo credits: Foto Scala, Firenze

Fra Angelico, Cortona Triptych: Saints Matthew and John the Baptist, with the Annunciate Angel; Virgin and Child Enthroned and Four Angels, with the Crucifixion; Saints John the Evangelist and Mary Magdalene, with the Virgin Annunciate; Saint Peter Martyr, Dream of Innocent III, Meeting of Saints Dominic and Francis of Assisi, Apparition of Saints Peter and Paul to Saint Dominic, Saint Michael Archangel, Saint Dominic Resuscitating Napoleone Orsini, Dispute of Saint Dominic with the Heretics and the Miracle of the Book, Saint Vincent, Angels Serving the Friars’ Dinner, Death of Saint Dominic, and Saint Thomas Aquinas (predella), c. 1437, tempera and gold on panel, 187 × 240 cm (main section); 34.5 × 245.5 cm (predella). Cortona, Museo Diocesano del Capitolo. Photo credits: Foto Scala, Firenze.

Fra Angelico, Perugia Altarpiece Main section: Saints Dominic and Nicholas of Bari; Virgin and Child, with Angels; Saints John the Baptist and Catherine of Alexandria, c. 1437-43, tempera and gold on panel, 102 × 75.1 cm; 126.3 × 78,5 cm; 101.8 × 76 cm. Perugia, Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria, invv. 92, 91, 93. Photo credits: courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Musei Nazionali di Perugia - Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Umbri -Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria, Perugia / Foto Tecnireco

Fra Angelico and collaborator, Crucifixion, c. 1418–20, tempera and gold on panel, 63.8 × 48.3 cm. New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Maitland F. Griggs Collection, Bequest of Maitland F. Griggs, 1943, inv. 43.98.5. Photo credits: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Fra Angelico and Lorenzo di Credi (Florence, 1456/60–1537), Fiesole Altarpiece, 1420-1423; 1501. Main section: Enthroned Virgin and Child, with Eight Angels and Saints Thomas Aquinas, Barnabas, Dominic, and Peter Martyr, tempera and gold on panel, 212 × 234.5 cm, Fiesole, church of San Domenico Photo credits: © Foto Giusti Claudio,

Fra Angelico, Virgin and Child Enthroned, with Twelve Angels, c. 1422–23, tempera and gold on panel, 37.5 × 29.7 cm, Frankfurt, Städel Museum, inv. 838. Photo credits: Städel Museum, Frankfurt

Fra Angelico, San Pietro Martire Altarpiece, c. 1422–23. Main section: Virgin and Child Enthroned, with Saints Dominic and John the Baptist, Peter Martyr, and Thomas Aquinas; Annunciate Angel, God the Father Sending the Holy Spirit to Mary, and Virgin Annunciate (roundels of the pinnacles); Saint Peter Martyr Preaching and Martyrdom of Saint Peter Martyr (spandrels of the pinnacles), tempera and gold on panel, 152 × 172 cm. Florence, Museo di San Marco, inv. 1890, no. 8769 Photo credits: courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Toscana - Museo di San Marco

Fra Angelico, Crucifixion, c. 1424–25, tempera and gold on panel, 59.7 × 34.2 cm, Oxford, The Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford, inv. WA2024.83. The Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. Purchased with the assistance of The Lord Lupton CBE, The National Heritage Memorial Fund, David and Molly Lowell Borthwick, Art Fund, with a contribution from the Wolfson Foundation, The Headley Trust, The Emmett Family, Barrie and Deedee Wigmore, John Booth CVO, Dr Anthea Hume, Patrons of the Ashmolean Museum, Lord and Lady Sassoon, Ian and Caroline Laing, a gift in memory of David Boyle, Mrs Rosamond Brown, Henry Oldfield Trust, James and Shirley Sherwood Foundation, Christian Levett, Chris Rokos, many other generous donors to the campaign, and those who wish to remain anonymous, 2024. Photo credits: © Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford

Fra Angelico, The Annunciation, c. 1443, fresco. Florence, Museo di San Marco, Dormitory, North Corridor. Photo credits: courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Toscana - Museo di San Marco

Fra Angelico, Mocking of Christ, the Virgin and Saint Dominic, c. 1438–39, fresco. Florence, Museo di San Marco, Dormitory, East Corridor, Cell 7. Photo credits: courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Toscana - Museo di San Marco

Fra Angelico, The Transfiguration, c. 1438–39, fresco. Florence, Museo di San Marco, Dormitory, East Corridor, Cell 6. Photo credits: courtesy Ministero della Cultura - Direzione regionale Musei nazionali Toscana - Museo di San Marco

Beato Angelico, exhibition views, Palazzo Strozzi e Museo di San Marco, Firenze, 2025. Photo: Ela Bialkowska, OKNO Studio