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Uffizi Galleries
乌菲兹美术馆 · Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy
The Uffizi building is itself a Renaissance work, and inside it gathers masterpieces such as Botticelli's Primavera and The Birth of Venus, making it one of the densest collections of Renaissance painting anywhere.
Know before you go
- Touching the exhibits
- talking loudly or eating in the galleries
- pushing ahead in queues
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
The Last of the Medici
After the Medici dynasty died out, the last heir, Anna Maria Luisa, handed the art collection built up by generations of the family to the city of Florence through the Family Pact. That collection became the core of the museum that is open to the public today.
Source: Wikipedia: Uffizi
History
Surviving Disaster
The building has survived several disasters: the 1966 Florence flood severely damaged the collection, and the 1993 mafia car bombing in Via dei Georgofili damaged parts of the building and exhibits. Restored, the Uffizi remains a symbol of Renaissance art.
Source: Wikipedia: Uffizi
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
The Uffizi stands in Florence, Tuscany, Italy, right beside the Piazza della Signoria. Two wings flank a narrow courtyard that opens toward the Arno at its far end, and the niches in the courtyard piers hold 28 statues of famous Tuscans. The masterpieces inside are densely packed: Botticelli's Primavera and The Birth of Venus, Leonardo's Annunciation and Adoration of the Magi, Michelangelo's Holy Family (the Doni Tondo), Raphael's Madonna of the Goldfinch, Titian's Venus of Urbino, and Caravaggio's Bacchus and Medusa. In 1560 Giorgio Vasari began building administrative offices for Cosimo I de' Medici — uffizi means "offices" in Italian — and the building was completed in 1581. The top floor was later turned into a Medici family gallery, and the octagonal Tribuna was finished in 1584. Visitors could see it on request from the 16th century; it opened formally to the public in 1769 and officially became a museum in 1865. In 2024 it received 5,249,968 visitors.
Local customs
Follow the gallery order from medieval and early Renaissance painting through to the Venetian school and Caravaggio, lingering in the Botticelli rooms. Step to the top-floor windows for a view of the Arno. Visit the octagonal Tribuna and look closely at its decoration. In the courtyard, pick out the statues of famous Tuscans in the niches.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
Rome's Spanish Steps: no sitting, eating or drinking
Do
- Walk up the steps and keep moving after your photo
Don’t
- Sitting, resting, eating or drinking on the steps
Banned by Rome's urban police regulations since 2019; media report fines of €250, rising to €400 for dirtying or damaging the steps.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: ANSA: Rome bans sitting on the Spanish Steps (2019)
Don’t DON'T
- Touching the exhibits
- talking loudly or eating in the galleries
- pushing ahead in queues
Locals appreciate DO
- Leave large luggage in the cloakroom as the museum requires
- follow staff directions when queuing in crowded rooms
- check the on-site rules before taking photos or using flash
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- In high season queues have lasted for hours, and booking ahead can shorten the wait considerably
- ticket prices and opening hours follow official information. The galleries are extensive, so allow half a day or more and wear comfortable shoes
- crowds often gather in front of the famous works, so visit off-peak where possible. It is open all year: spring and autumn are pleasant and suit combining a visit with a stroll through the old town
- summer is the high season with the most visitors
- winter brings relatively fewer visitors and a more leisurely visit.
- The museum is in Florence's historic center and can be reached on foot within the city
- arriving by train at Firenze Santa Maria Novella station and walking from there is also convenient.
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