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Sabrina Friedman, Staff Writer
In Florence, captivating art lies around many a corner, and in a multitude of
fine museums. None of these collections, however, can compare to that within
the original public museum: the Uffizi Gallery.
In the late 1500s, the Grand Duke of Italy granted permission to enter the
museum (by request). Four hundred years later, it has also earned the
distinction of oldest "public" museum in the world.
Cosimo de Medici decided to build the original palace in which the Uffizi is
housed, but the actual construction of the property was initiated by Giorgio
Vasari and - finally - completed by Buontalenti. It was still, however, a
palace, a sometime office, and mostly just a building where some fine art
happened to be held.
That wasn't good enough for old Buontalenti, although it was his son
Francesco that actually did something about it. In 1581, Francesco fitted
the second floor gallery with large, elaborate windows, using natural light
and color reflections to highlight many of the pieces he wished to display.
With lighting in place, he then put together a collection comprised of a
portion of the Grand Ducal collection (which contained a variety of medals,
jewelry and paintings, among other items.) A painstaking process of
selection and arrangement, the original "exhibition" is considered by many
artists the original exhibit of the Uffizi.
This gallery, often called the finest example of "real" art in the world,
contains what is considered the most important art collection ever. From
paintings on wood to truly dazzling and well-preserved classical sculpture,
here is the place where one can indulge (gazing only!) in priceless works of
art - spanning from the 13th to the 18th century - for a fraction of the
cost of more expansive but less impressive museums. (In
general, the cost for admission is 8 euro. European
citizens over 18 and under 25 will pay 4 euro. Also, please note that
admission to the Uffizi is free for foreign residents from countries "for
which reciprocity holds.")
Altered and rearranged several times over the centuries according to the
cultural tastes of the various periods, the exhibition rooms are now
composed of over 45 rooms containing about 1.700 paintings, 300 sculptures,
46 tapestries and 14 pieces of furniture and/or ceramics. In actual fact the
Uffizi owns about 4.800 works, the remainder of which are either in storage
or on loan to other museums.
The Uffizi Gallery
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 8.15am-7.00pm
Closing days: every Monday, January 1, May 1, December 25.
Tickets sales end 45 minutes before closing each evening.
Amenities and Entertainment: Bar, Souvenier/Book Shop, Cloak Room
Ticket sales are located on the ground floor; the majority of the Uffizi
Gallery is housed on the second floor (as Francesco intended!).
Reservations can be made (pending availability) each day or in advance by
calling 39 0 55 294883 Monday thru Friday 8:30 AM - 6:30 PM; Saturday 8:30
AM - 12:30 AM. Please note that on Saturday and (selected Italian) holidays,
an answering service is available to take calls and is manned by an
operator. Reservations can also be faxed to the museum (although turnaround
for approval can take significantly longer) by faxing your written request
(preferably in Italian AND English) to 39 0 55 264406.
Please note: As of summer 2000, email reservations through the Gallery's
official Web site are NOT accepted.
Index of Period Works Within the Uffizi Gallery:
Emilian and Lombard Painting of the 15th Century: Room 23
Emilian Painting of the 16th Century: Rooms 29, 30
Flemish Painting of the 15th and first 16th Century: Rooms 10/14, 22
Florentine Painting of the 14th Century: Room 4
Florentine Painting of the 15th Century: Ancient Church of San Pier
Scheraggio, Rooms 5/6, 7, 8, 9, 10/14, 15
Florentine Painting of the 16th Century: Rooms 15, 18, 25, 26, 27, 29, 33
Florentine Painting of the 17th Century: Room 38
French Painting: Rooms 33, 43, 45
German Painting of the 15th Century: Rooms 20, 22
International Gothic Painting: Room 5/6
Neapolitan Painting of the 17th Century: Room 43
North European Painting of the 17th Century: Rooms 41, 44
Roman Painting of the 17th Century: Room 43
Sienese Painting of the 14th Century: Room 3
Spanish Painting of the 17th and 18th Centuries: Rooms 35, 41, 45
Tuscan Painting of the 13th Century: Room 2
Umbrian Painting of the 15th Century: Rooms 15, 19
Venetian Painting of the 15th Century: Rooms 5/6, 21, 23
Venetian Painting of the 16th Century: Rooms 28, 31, 32, 35
Venetian Painting of the 17th and 18th Centuries: Rooms 35, 38
For more information about the Uffizi Gallery, please check out Virtual Uffizi. For more details and
updated collection locations, admission prices and operating hours, please
visit the official site of the Uffizi Gallery.
Special thanks for the Uffizi Gallery for providing collection location and
pricing/operating hours information. Special thanks to MEGA for the use of
the 18th Century drawing of the Uffizi.
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