‌

Quick Information

ADDRESS

Piazzale degli Uffizi, 6, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

RECOMMENDED DURATION

3 hours

Timings

08:15–18:30

VISITORS PER YEAR

2008625

TICKETS

From $28.81

NUMBER OF ENTRANCES

5

EXPECTED WAIT TIME - STANDARD

2+ hours (Peak), 30-60 mins (Off Peak)

EXPECTED WAIT TIME - SKIP THE LINE

0-30 mins (Peak), 0-30 mins (Off Peak)

UNESCO YEAR

1982

Plan your visit

Did you know?

Wander the Vasari Corridor, a covert passageway linking Uffizi to Pitti Palace across the Arno River, shrouded in historical intrigue.

Journey back to 3100 BCE with the ancient Egyptian masterpiece, the Narmer Palette, residing within Uffizi's renowned collection.

Explore the hidden treasures of Room 35, known as the "Room of the Loeser Bequest," showcasing antique furniture and paintings collected by Charles Loeser.

Why visit Uffizi Gallery?

Vasari Corridor view with Uffizi Gallery artworks, Florence private tour.
  • See art masterpieces: You'll view some of the world's most famous artworks up close, like Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" and Leonardo da Vinci's "Annunciation." It's like stepping into a history book filled with incredible paintings.
  • Return to the Renaissance: The gallery itself is housed in a stunning Renaissance palace built in the 16th century. Walking through its corridors feels like you're traveling back in time, surrounded by rich history and architecture.
  • Striking views of the city: From certain points in the gallery, you get breathtaking views of Florence. A lot of the windows offer some really wonderful views of the Arno River. In fact, you can even get a shot of the Ponte Vecchio from some of them.
  • Be lured by the Medici family's mystery: The Uffizi Gallery is the Medici family's legacy. They were patrons of the arts and played a crucial role in Florence's cultural and political history. Exploring the gallery offers a glimpse into the Medici's world, their support of artists, and their impact on shaping Florence into the cultural hub it is today.

The Uffizi Gallery collection

Visitors exploring the Vasari Corridor with views of Florence's Uffizi Gallery.
  • Paintings: The Uffizi Gallery has about 1,800 Italian Renaissance paintings by famous artists like Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Caravaggio.
  • Sculptures: The Uffizi's sculpture collection, though smaller than its paintings, includes notable pieces such as Michelangelo's 'Tondo Doni,' highlighting Renaissance mastery.
  • Ancient artifacts: The collection also includes about 600 ancient artifacts such as vases and coins, offering insights into daily life and art from ancient civilizations.
  • Prints & drawings: With approximately 100,000 prints and drawings, the Uffizi Gallery showcases artists' creative processes and the evolution of printing techniques, including detailed woodcuts and engravings.
A catalog of Uffizi Gallery artworks
The delicate halftone print captures 'Woman with a Veil' by Raphael, a piece from the esteemed collection housed within the Uffizi Gallery
Sandro Botticelli's iconic 'The Birth of Venus' showcases the goddess emerging from the sea on a shell, a symbol of divine beauty, part of the Uffizi Gallery's treasures
Rosa Genoni's 'The Spring' is a tribute to Botticelli's allegorical masterpiece, harmoniously weaving modern fashion with classical grace, now housed in the Uffizi Gallery
Marino Marini's 'Pomona' is a bold expression of form, encapsulating the essence of the Roman goddess in abstract simplicity, displayed in the Uffizi Gallery
The opulent Medici Gallery immerses visitors in a grand display of sculptures and paintings, enveloped by rich red walls and an ornate ceiling, a testament to the Medici's patronage of the arts

The Uffizi Gallery floor plan

Ground floor

The Ground Floor of the Uffizi Gallery is practical, housing amenities like the audioguide station, bookshop, and cloakroom. It serves as the entrance and exit point for the museum. After exploring the first and second floors, visit the exit for souvenir shopping at the extensive bookshop, featuring Uffizi-related titles, a post office for mailing postcards, and an ATM.

First floor

The floor features a concise collection across four sections. The Blue Rooms (46 to 55) exhibit foreign artists like Rembrandt and Goya. The Red Rooms (56 to 66) display paintings and sculptures by Raphael, Andrea del Sarto, and others. The Carravaggesque Rooms (90 to 93) showcase Caravaggio's works. Additionally, the Balcony over the Arno presents three impressive sculptures, including the Medici Vase.

Second floor

The Uffizi Gallery's second floor has 45 rooms arranged in a U-shape, featuring a diverse collection from ancient statues to Medici pieces. Highlights include Leonardo Da Vinci's "Adoration of the Magi" and "The Baptism of Christ," along with 15+ Botticelli works like "Birth of Venus." Explore miniatures, relics, ancient maps, and art by masters such as Lippi, Pollaiolo, Perugino, Signorelli, Bellini, Giorgione, Mantegna, and Correggio.

  • 1560: Cosimo I de Medici initiates the construction of the Uffizi Gallery to house administrative and legislative offices in Florence.
  • 1581: The top floor transitions into an art space, beginning the collection of artworks and family treasures.
  • 1743: The last Medici, Anna Maria Luisa de Medici, signs the Family Pact, bequeathing the Uffizi Museum and its contents to the Tuscan state. The agreement ensures the artworks remain in Florence.
  • 1769: The Uffizi Gallery officially opens as a museum, showcasing the extensive collection. While some artworks have been relocated to other Florence museums, the Uffizi remains a central repository of Italian Renaissance masterpieces.

​Read more about Uffizi Gallery history

Who built Uffizi Gallery?

The powerful Medici family, known for their patronage of the arts, commissioned the Uffizi Gallery's initial structure in the 1560s from Giorgio Vasari. Originally designed for administrative purposes, the Uffizi evolved into a renowned art gallery. Vasari, a prominent 16th-century artist and architect, departed from his ornate style, opting for a symmetrical and neutrally colored layout for the Uffizi Gallery, now one of the world's foremost art galleries.

Uffizi Gallery architecture

Visitors exploring art exhibits in the Uffizi Gallery during a small group guided tour, Florence, Italy.

Uffizi Museum is a rare gallery where even the architecture of the venue is considered as important as the art. Some architectural highlights to look out for include the following:

  • The Uffizi Palace: Perhaps one of the most important pieces of Italian architecture from the 16th century, this was designed by Giorgio Vasari to house the offices (“uffizi”) of the magistrates of Florence. Created in Classical style, the space is open and bright.
  • The Grand Staircase: This opulent staircase is divided into two parts. The first was designed by Vasari in the Florentine Renaissance style and stops at the first floor. The second part leads to the gallery floor and is designed in Neoclassical form.
  • The Gallery Corridors: The three corridors on the top floor of the Uffizi Museum feature frescoes that date back to 1550-1700 ca. 
  • The Tribune: Created in the early 1580s by Bernardo Buontalenti, the Tribune is an octagonal room that was designed in a way that alluded to the four elements.
  • Literal meaning: "Uffizi" translates to "Offices" as the building initially served administrative purposes for the city of Florence. Later, it opened as a public museum in 1769, boasting over 250 years of captivating art history.
  • Secret passage: The Vasari Corridor, a kilometer-long passage, connects Uffizi to Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti, spanning the iconic Ponte Vecchio.
  • Michelangelo's painting: "Doni Tondo" is Michelangelo's sole known movable painting, displayed at the Uffizi.
  • Mud Angels' rescue: In 1966, international volunteers, known as "Mud Angels," helped salvage art from the Uffizi after severe flooding in Florence.
  • Napoleon's patronage: Napoleon's positive impact on the arts is acknowledged at the Uffizi, unlike museums in Rome that he pillaged.
  • Napoleon's sister in Tuscany: Elisa Baciocchi, Napoleon's sister, briefly governed Florence, aiming to modernize the city. Her initiatives were in sync with wider cultural and political shifts that played a role in the Uffizi's evolution into a public museum.
  • Magnanimous donation: The entire Uffizi collection, valued in billions, was donated to Florence by Anna Maria Luisa dé Medici in 1737.
  • Millions of visitors: With 2.1 million visitors in 2019, the Uffizi Gallery is a cultural magnet, despite its smaller size compared to global counterparts.
  • Brief homecoming of Mona Lisa: Stolen in 1911, the Mona Lisa briefly graced the Uffizi's walls before returning to its home at the Louvre in Paris.

Frequently asked questions about Uffizi Gallery, Florence

The Uffizi Gallery, located in Florence, Italy, is one of the most famous and important art museums in the world. It houses a vast collection of priceless artworks, primarily from the Italian Renaissance, including masterpieces by artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Botticelli.

More reads

Plan your visit

Guided tours

Exhibitions