Imagine walking through a splendid sequence of over 40 rooms, arranged on two floors, and being surrounded by thousands of the most admired paintings in the world.
We will start our visit discovering the evolution of painting, from the art of Giotto and Cimabue, to continue with the great painters of the 15th century, such as Filippo Lippi and Botticelli's masterpieces, the Primavera and theBirth of Venus.
We will get to know the works of the sixteenth century, including the famous Michelangelo's Tondo Doni, Leonardo's Annunciation, the sensual Titian's Venus of Urbino, the refined Madonna of the Goldfinch by Raphael to admire the revolutionaries of seventeenth-century art, from Artemisia Gentileschi to the works of Caravaggio, with his Medusa and Bacchus. How were the Uffizi born, and why are they called that? Cosimo I de' Medici, who had previously taken up residence in Palazzo Vecchio in 1540, commissioned his trusted architect, Giorgio Vasari, to build a large palace to house the administrative and judicial offices of the Duchy of Tuscany. Hence the name Uffizi!
But the birth of the museum is due to Cosimo's son, the introverted Francesco, who transformed the upper floor into a splendid gallery where "to stroll among paintings, statues and other things of value" belonging to his collection. To do this, he had the corridors glazed and the ceilings decorated with splendid frescoes.
The history of the Uffizi is closely linked to the Medici, the main Florentine patrons of the arts, but also to other influential families of the city, especially merchants and bankers, who, to adorn their private palaces and churches, commissioned the most important artists of the time refined works that represented their social and cultural status. Right from the start, the palace also had other functions, such as a restoration workshop and a customs house on the side facing the Arno, where there was once a river port surrounded by a district of brothels and taverns, which is difficult to imagine today.
Admission: Uffizi
Entrances are included in the tour, but when booking you can customize the tour according to your needs and interests.
Some suggestions to enrich your visit:
Accademia Gallery - Medici Chapels - Palazzo Vecchio - Walk among the monuments
Contact me to create a personalized itinerary together that meets your interests and needs.
