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GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI – The Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence is the most important art collection in Italy and one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world. It is located in the Uffizi Palace, the home of the European Renaissance.
There are collections of works of Italian painting of all times and a notable selection of foreign artists. Its collection of early and high Renaissance masterpieces, begun by the Medici family, then enlarged by the Grand Dukes of Lorraine and completed by the authorities of the Italian state, is second to none in the world.
It also includes other important collections, in particular the Contini Bonacossi Collection and the Drawings and Prints Department of the Uffizi.
The elegant building was designed by the duke’s favourite architect, Giorgio Vasari, who created a U-shaped building with two long galleries connected by a short arcaded gallery that opens towards the Arno River. The Uffizi Gallery opened at the end of the sixteenth century and was officially opened to the public in 1765.
The Palazzo degli Uffizi was built between 1560 and 1580 to house the government administration of Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici. Founded in 1581 by Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici, son of Cosimo I, the Uffizi Gallery was housed on the top floor of the large U-shaped building with two long galleries connected by a short arcaded gallery that opens towards the river Arno, designed and built by Giorgio Vasari, the graduca’s favourite architect, between 1560 and 1580, and finished by Buontalenti among others. As the name ‘Uffizi‘ (offices) indicates, the building was originally intended to house various bureaucratic functions or magistracies – hence the original name: Palazzo dei Magistrati.
This construction created a long courtyard, the Piazza degli Uffizi. The facades of the Uffizi gallery facing to the courtyard are decorated with niches containing statues of important historical figures who lived in Tuscany. In 1565, even before the Uffizi was completed, Vasari connected the building with the adjacent Palazzo Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti across the river, with the famous Vasari Corridor, so that the Medici rulers could go from one building to another without going outside. In 1583 the Uffizi Gallery was also connected with the terrace of the Loggia dei Lanzi, allowing the Medicis to participate in events in Piazza della Signoria without leaving their palaces.
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History and development of artworks from the Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi collection has evolved over several centuries, starting in the 16th century. It has been enriched by the painting and sculptures acquired over the years by the Medici in their villas and palaces, and among the members of the dynasty who were active patrons of art also included members of the dynasty: Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici (1360-1429), Cosimo I (1389-1464), Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449-92), Pope Leo X (1475-1521), Pope Clement VII (1478-34), the retinue of grand dukes Cosimo I (1519-74), Francesco I (1541-87), Grand Duke and Cardinal Ferdinando I (1549-1609), Cosimo II (1590 -1621), Ferdinando II (1610-70), and Cosimo III (1642-73), to name just a few members of this family.
The Uffizi Gallery boasts the world’s largest collection of Renaissance art, largely gathered by members of the Medici family during the 16th and 17th centuries. Francesco I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1574 to 1587, the successor of Cosimo I, decided to use the upper floor of the Uffizi, characterized by unusually large windows, to keep the family’s collection of works of art, thus creating more ancient art gallery of the world. His successors maintained and expanded the collection until 1737, when Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, the last descendant of the Medici family, donated the works of art to the citizens of Florence.
Scholarly cataloguing of the collections began at the end of the 17th century, shortly before the Medici lordship over the Grand Duchy of Tuscany passed to the Austrian dukes of Lorraine, and shortly before the last surviving Medici – Anna Maria Luisa (1667–1743) bequeathed the entire collection to the city of Florence in 1737. Later, in 1782, the collection was further organized, but a complete reclassification and reorganization in 1919 provided the basis for the modern exhibition.
OFFICIAL UFFIZI GALLERY TICKETS 2023 – BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE
Enjoy priority entry to Italy’s greatest art treasures with a reserved entrance ticket to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. See masterpieces by Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and Giotto, and spend as much time as you like gazing at Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus.”
The huge Art collection of the Uffizi Gallery
Among the hundreds of artists present, the most significant are mentioned with an indication of the most famous works: Cimabue (Madonna in majesty, 1285), Duccio di Buoninsegna (Madonna enthroned with Child), Giotto (Madonna with Child, angels and saints ), Simone Martini (Annunciation), Paolo Uccello (The Battle of San Romano), Domenico Veneziano (Madonna and Saints), Piero della Francesca (Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza), Botticelli (Birth of Venus; Spring; Adoration of the Magi ; Madonna del Magnificat), Hugo van der Goes (Adoration of the Shepherds or Portinari Triptych), Leonardo da Vinci (Adoration of the Magi; Annunciation), Verrocchio (Baptism of Christ), Giovanni Bellini (Sacred Allegory), Michelangelo (Holy Family), Raffaello Sanzio (Madonna of the Goldfinch; Leo X), Tiziano (Venus of Urbino), Rembrandt (Old Rabbi).
The building represents the masterpiece of Florentine architecture of the sixteenth century. Started by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 on commission from Cosimo I de’ Medici, it was to house the thirteen magistracies and the administrative apparatus of the Duchy of Florence (hence the name “Uffizi“). When Cosimo I and Vasari died (1574), the works were continued by Bernardo Buontalenti, who built the Medici Theater and the Tribuna at the behest of the Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici.
The latter, a small octagonal room which must have housed the most precious works of the family collection, is full of symbolic references; in particular, the wind rose of the central lantern, the mother-of-pearl of the shells that cover the ceiling and the drum, the red fabric on the walls and the marbles of the flooring allude respectively to Air, Water, Fire and Earth, according to the ancient thought the four Elements that make up the Universe.
We have some good news for you! When you purchase a ticket for the Uffizi Gallery, you will be entitled to visit the National Archaeological Museum and the Opifico delle Pietre Dure for free.
Francesco I’s successors increased the Medici collection, which could be visited upon request. In 1773, when the Medici family had no heirs, the family’s artistic heritage became the property of the Municipality of Florence. Important renovations and rearrangements took place at the end of the 19th century, with the destruction of the Teatro Mediceo, in the 1950s of the 20th century and in 1989 with the transfer of the State Archives to Piazza Beccaria, which provided new exhibition rooms making the “New Uffizi” project is possible.
During the summer months, the courtyard can be very busy; street artists entertain the many visitors, and plenty of aspiring artists are willing to paint portraits here of anyone who shows up. The courtyard gives access to the Uffizi Gallery.
The collection of artworks is so large that some of the works are in other museums in Florence. Many of the statues are in the Bargello. Today the Uffizi is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Florence. In high season (particularly in July), people sometimes have to wait for five hours.
Here are some of Uffizi Gallery’s famous paintings:
- Cimabue: The Trinita Madonna
- Duccio: The Rucellai Madona
- Giotto: The Ognissanti Madonna, the Badia Polyptych
- Simone Martini: The Annunciation
- Paolo Uccello: The Battle of San Romano
- Piero della Francesca: Diptych of Duke Federico da Montefeltro and Duchess Battista Sforza of Urbino
- Fra Filippo Lippi: Madonna with Child and Two Angels
- Andrea del Verrocchio and Leonardo da Vinci: The Baptism of Christ
- Hugo van der Goes: The Portinari Altarpiece
- Sandro Botticelli: Primavera, The Birth of Venus, The Adoration of the Magi and others
- Leonardo da Vinci: The Annunciation, The Adoration of the Magi
- Piero di Cosimo: Perseus liberating Andromeda
- Albrecht Dürer: The Adoration of the Magi
- Michelangelo: The Doni Tondo
- Raphael: Madonna of the Goldfinch, Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de’ Medici and Luigi de’ Rossi
- Tiziano: Flora, Venus of Urbino
- Parmigianino: The Madonna of the Long Neck
- Caravaggio: Bacchus, The Sacrifice of Isaac, Medusa
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Uffizi Gallery Timetable – 2023
| Opening hours | From Tuesday to Sunday, 8.15 am to 6.30 pm |
| Closed on | Mondays, 25 December |
| Annual pass | Unlimited priority admission to the Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens, valid for 1 year starting from the date chosen by the visitor at the time of the pass issue. |
| Notes | The ticket office closes at 5.30 pm. At 6.30 p.m. visitors will be invited to make their way to the exit. Attention! Rooms A3 – sections B and C (except room C14) of the Uffizi will be closed for refurbishment. |
| Free Entrance | Between October and March, the first Sunday of every month is free! On this day, tickets cannot be reserved in advance. |
Uffizi tickets – Frequently asked questions
Are Uffizi Gallery tickets available to purchase online?
Yes of course can book Uffizi Gallery tickets online from our website.
Do Uffizi Gallery tickets include skip-the-line access?
Yes, your Uffizi Gallery tickets include skip-the-line access and allow you to skip the long waiting lines to go straight to the security checkpoint.
Are guided tours for the Uffizi Gallery available?
Yes. You can book Uffizi Gallery tickets that include guided tours. And learn more about the museum. Once you finish the tour, you can stay in the museum until it closes.
What are the opening hours of the Uffizi Gallery?
Yes. You can book Uffizi Gallery tickets that include guided tours. And learn more about the museum. Once you finish the tour, you can stay in the museum until it closes.
Is the Uffizi Gallery accessible to people with disabilities?
Yes. Special lifts and ramps are available at the Uffizi Gallery for guests with disabilities.
What are the different types of Uffizi tickets?
You can choose between skip the line, combo or guided tour tickets when you visit the Uffizi gallery.
Who can take advantage of discounted tickets for the Uffizi Gallery?
EU citizens between the ages of 18 and 26 enjoy reduced prices on their tickets. They must provide a valid ID as proof to take advantage of this benefit. Visitors with disabilities and visitors under the age of 18 enter the Uffizi Gallery for free.
How many floors does the Uffizi Gallery have?
There are three floors to the Uffizi Gallery.
What is the best time to visit the Uffizi Gallery?
The best time to visit the Uffizi Gallery is as soon as it opens or late in the evening when the crowds have subsided.
Links you might find useful
Uffizi Gallery
Renaissance Artists
Leonardo da Vinci
Michelangelo Buonarroti
Dante Alighieri
Giorgio Vasari
Florence Attractions
The Duomo Florence
Accademia Gallery
Bargello National Museum
Boboli Gardens