Primavera by Botticelli | Viewing Guide & History

Sandro Botticelli's Primavera is a hallmark of the Italian Renaissance style, depicting a mythological scene of springtime renewal and fertility. This allegorical painting is renowned for its intricate detail, vibrant colors, and symbolic meaning.

Where is it located?

The painting is displayed in the second floor (Rooms 10-14) at the Uffizi Gallery.

Tickets

Entry to view the painting is included with a standard admission ticket.

How to best visit Primavera

Enhance your visit with a guide: Book a guided tour or take the Uffizi audio guide to uncover the layers of symbolism: mythology, philosophy, and Medici politics all weave through this masterpiece.
Best viewing spot: Step back a few paces and stand slightly left of center. This angle lets you take in the sweeping movement from Mercury on the left to Flora on the right without breaking the visual flow.
Observe the details: Notice the fine transparency of the drapery, the delicate flowers embroidered on Flora’s gown, and the Three Graces’ intertwined hands. Each element carries allegorical meaning, from fertility to love’s transformations.
Lighting effects: The soft lighting in the Botticelli Room highlights the painting’s ethereal quality. Move closer to see how the pale skin tones seem to glow against the dark grove.
Photography tips: Photography without flash is allowed. A straight-on shot captures the full width of the scene, but zooming in on details, like Zephyrus chasing Chloris, reveals Botticelli’s storytelling brushwork.
Best time to visit: The Botticelli Room is one of the busiest in the Uffizi. Arrive at opening time or just before closing for the best chance to admire Primavera without the crowds.

Spring has sprung. See Primavera in all its flowering glory

Uffizi Gallery Tickets

Flexible duration

Audio guide

Guided tour

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Uffizi Gallery Guided Tour With Skip-The-Line Entry Tickets

1 hr. 30 min.

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Did you know?

🖌️The painting's original name is unknown; it was titled by Vasari who saw it some 70 years after its creation.

🎨Since Primavera means spring, over 190 varieties of plants have been used in the painting, out of which 130 have been recognised.

🖌️The painting's composition and symbolism reflect the Neoplatonic ideals of the Renaissance, which favor unity between the human and the divine.

🎨The style in which Primavera has been painted is reminiscent of the 'millefleur' or thousand-flower Flemish tapestries, which were popular at that time.

Story behind Primavera

Botticelli's La Primavera painting at Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.

A Medici commission (late 1470s–1480s)

Likely commissioned for the villa of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici, Primavera celebrated love, marriage, and fertility in a refined humanist context.

A mythological garden

The scene draws from classical poetry: Venus presides at the center, Mercury wards off clouds, while Zephyrus chases the nymph Chloris, who transforms into Flora, goddess of spring.

Allegory of love and renewal

The Three Graces dance in harmony, embodying beauty and virtue, while Venus stands as a symbol of both earthly and divine love. The entire grove blooms with over 500 identifiable plant species—an eternal springtime.

A poetic puzzle

The painting resists a single reading. Scholars still debate whether it encodes Neoplatonic philosophy, Medici politics, or a wedding allegory—its mystery is part of its magic.

Legacy today

Now in the Uffizi Gallery, Primavera is celebrated as one of the most enchanting visions of the Renaissance, blending myth, nature, and philosophy into a timeless ode to beauty.

Who created Primavera?

Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus painting at Uffizi Gallery, Florence.

Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, known for his lithe figures and use of mythological themes. His work is characterized by its delicate lines, harmonious compositions, and vibrant colors. He was also among the earliest painters in Florence to use egg yolk in tempera, to create a sheen and make the paint more transparent. Botticelli's influence on the Renaissance and his legacy as a master of mythological painting continue to inspire artists and art lovers today.

A closer look at Sandro Botticelli's art

What makes Primavera a masterpiece? See for yourself

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Full view

At first glance, Botticelli’s enchanted grove sweeps you into a dream of eternal spring. It’s vast, intricate, and alive with myth and mystery.

Venus at the centre

Notice how Venus, calm and serene, anchors the entire scene. She’s framed like a Madonna, elevating pagan myth with a spiritual grace.

The Three Graces

Zoom in on their delicate dance. Their transparent gowns, interlaced hands, and flowing movements embody harmony, beauty, and the elegance of Botticelli’s line.

Flora's gown

Every flower on Flora’s dress is painted in detail. Botanists have identified hundreds. Together they symbolize fertility, abundance, and the blossoming of love.

Zephyrus and Chloris

On the right, Zephyrus grasps Chloris, who transforms into Flora. It’s a vivid moment of metamorphosis, balancing violence with renewal.

A timeless alleory

Whether read as a wedding gift, a Medici statement, or Neoplatonic philosophy, Primavera resists one meaning. Its beauty lies in the endless interpretations it inspires.

Frequently asked questions about Primavera

Is Primavera included in the Uffizi Gallery ticket?

Yes, it is included with a standard Uffizi Gallery ticket.

What is Primavera's claim to fame?

Botticelli's expression of 'Neoplatonicism', or the idea that the earthly must aspire to meet the divine, is at play in this painting. The art work is also secular in focus, departing from the religious themes that otherwise occupied the discourse of the time. Further, his use of vivid colour and skilled brushstrokes make the painting arresting.

Where was Primavera before it arrived at the gallery?

Primavera was commissioned by the Medici family and was placed in the villa Castello before it came to the Uffizi Gallery in 1919.

What material is Primavera painted on?

Unlike his contemporaries who used wooden panels for paintings, Botticelli used canvas to paint his famous creations, including Primavera. Canvas was also cheaper than wood.