It is great to report that the Orsanmichele Museum is indeed reopened, and better yet, admission is free! I got a chance to stop by this morning and there was another welcome surprise - the piano secondo is also open. You can access the top floor from the contemporary stair case that is built between the primo piano (the museum room with all the sculptures - or in English, the second floor) and the piano secondo (or third floor).
The top floor is mostly empty, but there are some spectacular views in all directions, as well as what really can only be described as the near ruins of the smaller sculptures that originally adorned the openings/windows of the church. The architecture is fantastic, with meter wide or more wooden beams spanning the width of the building and original stone work.
The scale of Orsanmichele is simply amazing - to walk up to the primo piano is four flights of huge stairs. I think floor to ceiling must be over 40 feet.
One thing that hasn't changed unfortunately is that no photos are allowed - which just seems sort of silly in this day and age.
The only missing sculpture in the museum is the one of St. George. I inquired about it with both guards but neither had a real answer. At least there is some clarity to the situation - the original marble is the one in the Bargello, and a marble copy is in the niche on the outside of the church. But at the moment, the bronze copy, which was in the niche until at least a year or two ago is nowhere to be seen. I have a feeling it must be in for restoration, probably at the Opificio Delle Pietre Dure. I am going to try to contact the museum administration for and answer to this mystery, and for permission to photograph the statues in the museum for this website.
