THE UFFIZI GALLERY TOUR

The Uffizi Gallery traces its origins back to 1560, when Cosimo I de’ Medici commissioned Giorgio Vasari, Italian painter, architect, writer and historian, to design a grand building to house the administrative and judicial offices of the Florentine State. Just five years later, Vasari himself created the extraordinary elevated passage known today as the Vasari Corridor. This hidden tunnel runs over the Ponte Vecchio and the Church of Santa Felicita, connecting the Uffizi to the new Medici residence at Pitti Palace and ending in the Boboli Gardens. The Medici family had always owned remarkable private art collections, but this tradition reached its peak under Francesco I, the second Grand Duke of Tuscany. He created a small octagonal, heart-shaped room inside the gallery designed to showcase the finest pieces of the family’s collection. Today, the Uffizi preserves an immense artistic heritage: thousands of artworks spanning from medieval to modern times, along with ancient sculptures, miniatures, cameos, books, paintings, coins and armors. This vast patrimony was organized and catalogued in 1769 by Pietro Leopoldo of Lorraine, who was Grand Duke of Tuscany and later the penultimate Holy Roman Emperor, reigning as Leopold II from 1790 to 1792. We owe the public opening of the Uffizi Gallery to Pietro Leopoldo himself, who made it accessible to visitors that very same year. Following this extraordinary legacy, our tour led by a specialized guide with deep expertise in Florentine art history will take you through this iconic museum.

Note:
Tour not available on Monday.