The Uffizi Gallery, Florence

Oh - Primavera! Oh - Birth of Venus! (Don't the girlies look just like Cate Blanchett?) Oh there's a Goya! And a Michelangelo. Help help help. I'm drowning. Isn't Canaletto lovely? Although somewhat smaller than I expected.
This is the big one. Come emotionally prepared. The game I play of picking one piece to take home with me (if only) I took a beautiful little Caravaggio of a tipsy Bacchus.
And the building is as beautiful as anything in it. Strolling along the galleries - the view of the Arno, the decorated roof - put a paper bag on my head I am hyper ventilating.
Costs 10 euros.
This is Italy giving you a great big smack in the chops.

the uffizi (office), is located next to the palazzo vecchio. built in 1580 it originally was the offices of cosimo I. the uffizi is the oldest and one of the finest art galleries in the world. the uffizi's collection contains ancient greek and roman sculpture and some of the best italian renaissance paintings in the world. some examples are, titian's "venus of urbino", francesca's "duke and duchess of urbino", botticelli's "birth of venus" and "the primavera", da vinci's "the annunciation" and raphael's "madonna of the goldfinch". one of the finest art galleries in the world, a must see site in florence.

First, I am a much bigger fan of Impressionistic art than anything else, and normally am not the biggest fan of Renaissance art. But, the Uffizi blows you away with its wondrous works of Renaissance. One after the other. Famous works, by famous artists, and just as fabulous works by lesser known people. The entire place is boiling over with masterpieces.

It is worth the wait in line that you will have to endure in the high season. I was there in early October, and I waited about an hour and a half.

Tickets cost 8.50 Euro for adults. 4 for students of the EU (or for US students who beg...)

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.

If you're looking for Michelangelo's David or Botticelli's Venus, then this is the place. The powerful Medici family commissioned Giorgio Vasari to design the building as an administrative office, in the late 16th century. As the works of art accumulated, it became Italy's best-endowed gallery. In 1737, Anna Maria Ludovica de Medici, last of her line, bequeathed it to the city as a public museum.

My favortie painting in the Uffizi is Botticelli's Venere (or Venus). It is a magnificent painting that just speaks harmony to me. The flowing of the clothes and hair just really mesmerized me for the 3-4 minutes I stood in front of it.

Room 10

Museum reservations are a great idea in Florence. You can wait in line if you prefer, but you'll feel great walking right past that long, hot line. Primarily, you'll need them for the Ufizzi (the most important collection of Italian painting anywhere) and the Galleria dell'Accademia (with Michelangelo's David).

There are all sorts of commercial web sites offering to make reservations for you for a relatively large fee.

But you can make the reservations yourself for just a couple of euros by calling the official Florence museum reservation service. You can use the same reservation number for the Uffizi, the Accademia or other museums. They speak English.

From the US: 011 - 39 - 055 - 294 - 883

(yes this is the right number - Italian phone numbers can be any number of digits!)

If you are already in Italy, you call:
055 - 294 - 883

The cost of this reservation is 3 euros, but you don't pay this fee until you buy your ticket, or at least, the last time I used the service (Feb. 2008), I didn't.

The benefits, in addition to a lower fee, are: IF there is no line at the museum, you don't have to use the reservation, just buy your ticket. If you want to change the reservation, just call and change it - there is no fee. And if you don't show up, there is no fee.

If you go the website I have listed, click on Services, then Tickets, and scroll all the way down the page for their info on booking via phone or in person.

Finally, most hotels in Florence will be happy to make the reservation for you, if you don't want to call and do it yourself. But if you wait until you arrive in Florence and it's high season, you may not get the times you want. Or any times at all!

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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, founded in Florence in 1581, by the De Medici family, is one of the oldest museums in the world. Many important works of Italian and other schools, dating from between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries, are kept here, including the largest existing collection of Tuscan Renaissance paintings.

The Uffizi is probably the greatest museum in the world. There are so many great works of art in this museum it is daunting, however my favorite room is 10/14 Botticelli room. It houses 15 of Botticelli's greatest works. Most were painted in Florence while he was working for the Medici Family. Amoung the paintings are the Birth of Venus, Primavera (Allegory of Spring) and Magnificat Madonna. I was not a big fan of Botticelli until I saw his paintings in person. This room is truly amazing.