The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most famous art museums in the world, located in Florence, Italy. It houses a collection that spans over several centuries, focusing on Italian Renaissance art, but also includes works from other periods.
The origins of the Uffizi Gallery date back to the 16th century when Cosimo I de' Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, commissioned Giorgio Vasari to design and construct a building to house the administrative and judicial offices of Florence, known as the Uffizi (meaning "offices" in Italian). Construction began in 1560 and was completed by 1581. Initially, the building was not intended as a public museum but as an office complex.
Over time, the Medici family began to use the upper floors to display their art collection. After the death of the last Medici, Anna Maria Ludovica de' Medici, in 1743, she left the collection to the Tuscan state with the condition that it should not be removed from Florence. This act turned the Uffizi into a public museum, which officially opened to the public in 1769.
The Uffizi Gallery boasts an impressive array of artworks:
The building itself is considered a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. It features a U-shaped design with a long loggia overlooking the Arno River, which provides a stunning view of Florence. The Vasari Corridor, an elevated passageway connecting the Pitti Palace with the Palazzo Vecchio, passes through the upper floor of the Uffizi.
The Uffizi Gallery has undergone several expansions and renovations to accommodate the growing collection and the increasing number of visitors. The latest major renovation was completed in 2011, which improved the gallery's climate control systems and expanded exhibition space.
The gallery attracts over 2 million visitors annually. To manage the crowds, the Uffizi has implemented a timed-ticket system and offers online booking services to control visitor flow. The museum is open every day except Mondays.