Orsanmichele

thumb|250px|Orsanmichele, seen from the tower of Palazzo Vecchio thumb|Orsanmichele, with Donatello's Saint George left of the corner Orsanmichele, Or San Michele or Orsammichele (; from the Tuscan contraction of Orto di San Michele, "orchard" or "kitchen garden of Saint Michael") is a communal building and church in the Italian city of Florence. Its uniqueness as an architectural construction lies not only in its multifunctionality as grain market, granary and oratory. The tabernacle by Orcagna, called the high point of Italian Gothic sculpture, and the sculptural program running around all four façades, depicting the patron saints of the major Florentine guilds, are extraordinary. It encompasses several firsts in marble and bronze, and lasting masterpieces of the Early Renaissance by Lorenzo Ghiberti, Donatello and Nanni di Banco.

== Historical background == From the mid-13th century, Florence experienced a period of prosperity and relative peace. The late 12th and 13th centuries witnessed the rise of guilds, particularly the arti maggiori among wealthier residents and arti minori among residents of middling wealth. From the early 13th century, leading segments of society also formed two opposing political factions: the Guelphs, who had won power in the struggle against the ruling feudal aristocracy, were loyal to the papacy, while the Ghibellines were allegiant to the Holy Roman emperor.