The Uffizi Gallery, Florence

The Uffizi has the greatest collection of Renaissance art in the world. There is so much to see that it can be a little overwhelming. The Uffizi is a U-shaped building and before being a world famous museum was used as administrative offices. The Uffizi houses famous works by such masters as Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, and Botticelli.

Some important rooms (5 rooms of paintings) and temporary exhibits are located on the first floor but the main collection is on the second floor. The paintings move chronologically from the Italian collection to works by German, Flemish, and finally Dutch masters. Works are divided into separate rooms by artist.

It would be difficult to pick my favorites but I really liked the Botticelli's and the Cupids!

Since this museum is exceptionally popular, I recommend buying your tickets online to avoid the lines. It is a must see in Florence! Allow plenty of time to see all the rooms.

Hours:

Tuesday-Sunday 8:15 a.m. - 6:50 p.m., closed Mondays

Admission:

€ 6,50
€ 3,50 for European citizens over 18 and under 25

Please note that all visitor information is correct as of this writing.

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No controversies here, just pitting the Uffizi gallery against the Palazzo Pitti museums. In reality the two museums, although sitting on opposite sides of the Arno river, are connected together by an ingeniously-devised elevated medieval corridor called Corridoio Vasariano. But this is where their commonality ends.

While getting into the Uffizi requires a very stressful ritual of waking up on ungodly hours to beat the long queue, snatching tickets to the Pitti museums is effortless. And the collection? The Uffizi may be regarded as Italy's greatest gallery, but poor presentation and the absence of many artworks loaned to other galleries all over the world make one think if the hype is worth it. Of course, as the Uffizi is obligatory for all tourists, art lover or not, the gallery is a virtual claustrophobic's nightmare.

In contrast, Pitti's collections are well-presented and labeled and the expansive corridors and galleries provide ample space to enjoy the collections, which are not lacking in Raphaels, Titians and Caravaggios, among others.

If I had to choose between the Uffizi and Pitti, it's a no brainer and Pitti comes out a winner.

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The Uffizzi is one of the great art museums of the world. It houses many masterworks by mainly italian artists, but also has works by other european masters. Amongst those represented are Leonardo DaVinci, Botticelli, Carravaggio, Raphael, Ruebens and Van Dyck.

Originally built as a palace for the Medici, it became a museum in the late 15th Century, open by request. It opened to the public in 1765. Because it is one of the top tourist destinations in Florence, advance tickets are virtually mandatory as lines can be quite long, especially during high season. Photography is not permitted. Though one can take photos of the many statues outside representing the giants in the arts and sciences of the Italian Rennaisance.

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The octagonal Tribuna is the pearl of the Uffizi symbolizing the four elements. The cupola with shells is the sea, the scarlet silk on the walls is the fire, while the lantern and the wind rose represent the air. The marble floor and the precious table standing in the center, are the earth of course. By the 1770s it was the most famous room in the world.
In the center of the Tribuna you can see the Medici Venus by a classical Greek sculptor. The painting on the walls are portraits of the members of the Medici family.
The grand-ducal collection of the Uffizi comprises thousands of paintings of all times. It is impossible to see all of them in one day. If you try to get the museum visit over in one day, the result is always a dead-tired tourist, who conceives a dislike for the museums forever.
You should be selective, and concentrate only to the art works you are most interested in. I would like to call your attention to one thing only: expect to spend some time in front of the magnificent Doni Tondo in its original frame, the only known preserved panel painting by Michelangelo. Some famous highlights, such as Birth of Venus and Primavera from Botticelli, Tiziano's Venus of Urbino, Leonardo's Annunciation, or Pope Leo X by Rafaello you should not pass by.
At the end of the visit, go up to the terrace bar at the top, and drinking a cool Campari you can admire the fantastic view of Piazza della Signoria.

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If you are willing to visit the Offizi (you should) please note that:
1. with a web reservation you'll pay 4 euros more, but you save a lot of time without waiting and you have a special entrance door
2. the audiophone costs 4 euros more and are not so detailled. Better to buy a good book in my opionion
3. Italians before 18 and over 65 years are FREE. EU citizens from 18 to 25 have a special rate.
4. There is a (free) wardrobe for big backbag or umbrellas but not for coats or normal bags. Go there as light as you can.
6. Good to go there if you are interested in studying the Japaneese people but you cannot afford Tokyo. I've never seen such a concentration in my life.

I am not giving any other tips, the Uffizi is one of the beautiful museum of the world.

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The UFFIZI GALLERY is one of the greatest museums in Italy and the world. The Uffizi was intended to house the offices of the famous Medici family (Uffizi = offices). From the beginning, however, the Medici set aside certain rooms to house the finest works from their collections.

Today the Uffizi contains masterpieces by Italian and foreign artists from the 13th to the 18th century, such as Cimabue, Giotto, Masaccio, Beato Angelico, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Piero della Francesca, Raphael, Caravaggio, along with Rubens, Rembrandt, Dürer, Goya and many others

The Uffizi could possibly be the most important art gallery in the world. That's quite a claim and I guess a little naive seeing as how I haven't seen The Louvre or the Guggenheim but nowhere else have I ever been so completely overwhelmed by art.
Standing in front of a Caravaggio that the Uffizi just happened to find in storage in the early part of the 20th century you realise how rich this collection is.
Stand outs for me where Botticelli's The Birth of Venus and Titian's Urban Venus. Andrew loved Leonardo's The Adoration of the Magi but every room (and there are over 40 all joined by corridors lined with antiquities fro mthe Roman period onwards) has something to make you gasp.

Uffizi is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Florence. Our tour guide told us that in high season, people wait in the queue for 4 or even 5 hours! But you can reserve your tickets in advance so, that'll make your wait shorter.

We were so unlucky to visit Florence on Monday so, THE MUSEUM WAS CLOSED!!...
I completely blame the tour company who made the itinerary!!! I really wanted to see the world famous 'Birth of Venus' painting.... :'( But i liked the Palazzo degli Uffizi.

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The Uffizi Gallery is one of the oldest and most famous art museums in the world, is housed in the Palazzo degli Uffizi. Building of the palace was begun by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 for Cosimo I de' Medici as the offices for the Florentine magistrates. Construction was continued to Vasari's design by Alfonso Parigi and Bernardo Buontalenti and ended in 1581. Its collection of Primitive and Renaissance paintings comprises several universally acclaimed masterpieces of all time, including works by Giotto, Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Mantegna, Correggio, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio.

Opening time: tuesday to Sunday 8.15-18.50
Ticket: 10 Euros

La galeria Uffizi es uno de los mas viejos y famosos museos en el mundo, está situado en el palacion del mismo nombre. La construcción del palacio comenzó en 1560 por Giorgio Vasari y se terminó en 1581. La colección de arte de los Uffizi es muy amplia, con fondos incluso no expuestos por falta de espacio. La exposición se distribuye a lo largo de dos pisos del palacio, ordenada cronológicamente, comenzando su recorrido por el segundo piso. Las obras que me cautivaron por completo fueron la primavera y el nacimiento de venus de Botticelli.

Horarios: martes a domingos de 8.15-18.30
Entrada: 10 Euros

One of the best and most famous art galleries in the world, the Uffizi Gallery (Galleria degli Uffizi) is Florence's greatest jewel. A fitting memorial to the town's importance as the cradle of the Renaissance, this art museum contains one of the greatest collections of paintings in existence.

The long arcaded buildings which house the gallery were designed by the artist Giorgio Vasari for Grand Duke Cosimo (of the Medici family), and were intended for use as offices (this is where the name Uffizi originated). As well as the paintings which tourists travel the world to see, the Uffizi also houses a good collection of Greek and Roman statues, including the once-revered Venus de' Medici.

The collection is arranged chronologically, with rooms themed around periods, individual artists or schools. This enables the visitor to trace the course of art from the thirteenth century, through the roots of the Renaissance, past the greatest flowerings of Florentine art and on through Mannerism and up to the eighteenth century. Along the way you will see some of the greatest masterpieces by history's greatest artists, many of them working here in Florence. The most beautiful works here include Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, Raphael's Madonna of the Goldfinch, and Giotto's Madonnas. But with a list of artists that reads like a Who's Who of art, visitors will be spoiled for choice as they pass works by Cimabue, Fra Angelico, Masaccio, Uccello, Leonardo da Vinci, Filippo Lippi, Ghirlandaio, Luca Signorelli, Michelangelo, Perugino, Titian, Rubens, Caravaggio and so many more.

The worst things about the Uffizi are the crowds and the authorities' lamentable habit of closing rooms with excuses such as 'staff shortages'. However, you cannot possibly visit Florence for the first time without seeing the Uffizi, and the quality of its art makes up for the inconveniences. Allow yourself plenty of time to view your favourites, to wait until tour parties move on and to absorb the paintings at your leisure.

A full-price entrance ticket is €6.50, and the museum's booking fee is €3 per person. If a special exhibition is being mounted you may have to pay extra (regardless of whether you want to see the exhibition or not). The Uffizi is part of the Polo Museale Fiorentino, the town's group of state museums, and offers free entry to European Union citizens under 18 and over 65 years of age, and reductions for those aged 18-25. Booking fees still apply.

The Uffizi is closed on Mondays, and on the 1st January, 1st May and 25th December. The opening times are 8.15am - 6.50pm.