How to visit the Uffizi in Florence

History

The Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence is one of the most important and worldwide best known Italian art museums. It holds a huge collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance. The artworks inside the Uffizi are reflecting the important role of Florence as the cradle of the Renaissance artworks and of some of the most important artists from this period (who were born and/or developed their career in the Tuscan city).

Initially the “Uffizi” (Engl. “offices”) was not created to be a museum. The building itself was ordered in 1560 by Cosimo de’ Medici (the famous Medici family was an Italian banking family, political dynasty and later royal house) in order to house the administrative and judiciary offices of Florence.

In 1581 Cosimo’s son, Franceso I de’ Medici, set up a private Gallery on the top floor of the east wing with paintings, statues and other precious objects from the private Medici family art collection. At this time the art museum was only opened to wealthy aristocrats who had a good connection to the Medici family. The immense wealth and the Medici family’s big passion for art was the main reason why the art collection was becoming vaster and vaster. It got continually enriched by every member of the dynasty until the family died out in the 18th century. With the growth of their art collection more and more space inside the Uffizi was needed until the offices were completely replaced with exhibition space.

Only in 1769 the gallery opened to the public, today it’s the most visited art gallery in Italy and exhibits among others:

• Paintings (Mostly from the 12th to the 16th century)
• Sculptures
• Hellenistic marble
• Archaeology
• Maps

• The Ognissanti Madonna (by Giotto)
• Annunciation (by Simone Martini and Lippo Memmi)
• Adoration of the Magi (by Gentile Da Fabriano)
• Portraits of the Duke & Duchess of Urbino (by Perio Della Francesca)
• The battle of San Romano (by Paolo Uccello)
• Santa Lucia De’ Magnoli Altrapiece (by Veneziano)
• Madonna with child and two children (by Filippo Lippi)
• La Primavera (by Botticelli)
• Venus of Urbino (by Titian)
• Doni Tondo (by Michelangelo)
• The birth of Venus (by Botticelli), picture:

 

 

Relevant visitor information (status 05.09.2018):

Address

Uffizi (Google Maps)
Piazzale degli Uffizi 6
50122 Firenze FI
Italy
Tel. +39 055 23885
https://www.uffizi.it

Opening hours

How to buy tickets?

1. Like I did (cheapest option): Buy them directly inside the museum, the queue may be more little during early morning/towards the evening and during the off-season (as shown in my video, I had to wait for 1.5 h at the end of April 2017 around 12:00 )
2. Phone (not offered from the official museum): call +39-055-294-883 to book by phone (keep in mind the time difference with Italy which is +1 UTC and phone center operating hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm)
3. Online: you have several options online, depending on whether you’re interested in just tickets or a tour as well: