The exhibition dedicated to Fra Angelico has closed as the most visited show in the twenty-year history of Palazzo Strozzi. Running for 122 days and closing on 25 January 2026, the project attracted unprecedented visitor numbers across its two venues.
More than 250,000 people visited the exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi, while the parallel display at the Museo di San Marco drew over 100,000 visitors. Attendance at San Marco was four times higher than during the same period the previous year.
Curated by Carl Brandon Strehlke with Stefano Casciu and Angelo Tartuferi, the exhibition was organised by Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi in collaboration with Italy’s Ministry of Culture and the Museo di San Marco. Spread across both sites, it brought together more than 140 works from 70 international collections, offering a comprehensive reassessment of Fra Angelico’s role in the development of Renaissance art.
The exhibition also delivered a significant boost to Florence’s cultural tourism. According to data released by the organisers, 83% of visitors came from outside the Florence metropolitan area, and around 80% travelled to the city specifically to see the exhibition. This represents the highest proportion of destination-driven visitors ever recorded by Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi.
Not only education but conservation
Educational engagement formed a central part of the project. More than 2,500 organised groups attended, including over 300 school classes and 70 university groups. In addition, educational and accessibility programmes involved more than 12,000 participants, reinforcing the exhibition’s reach beyond traditional museum audiences.
International media coverage further strengthened the exhibition’s impact, with widespread attention focused on its scholarly approach and curatorial ambition. Beyond visitor numbers, the project leaves a lasting legacy for research and conservation. Twenty-eight works were restored for the exhibition, while seven major altarpieces were partially reunited after having been dispersed for more than two centuries.
Online engagement also rose sharply during the exhibition period. Millions interacted through social media channels, accompanied by a significant increase in traffic to the Palazzo Strozzi website, extending the exhibition’s visibility well beyond its physical locations.
With the Fra Angelico exhibition now concluded, Palazzo Strozzi is preparing for its next major project. From 14 March to 23 August 2026, the Florentine venue will host one of the most extensive exhibitions ever dedicated to Mark Rothko, conceived specifically for the city.
Curated by Christopher Rothko and Elena Geuna, the exhibition will trace the artist’s career through more than 70 works from leading international museums and private collections. Satellite sections will also appear at the Museo di San Marco and the vestibule of the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, continuing Palazzo Strozzi’s strategy of linking contemporary art with Florence’s historic cultural spaces.
