The Uffizi Gallery in Florence is one of the most visited art museums in the world. It contains unique works of art: paintings by artists from the Middle Ages to the present day, perfectly preserved ancient sculptures, tapestries and miniatures.

Collections of the Uffizi Gallery are considered among the oldest in Europe. To house them, in the 16th century they built luxurious palatial buildings on the banks of the River Arno. It took more than 20 years to erect the palaces, and the old city quarters had to be demolished to do so. Two centuries before its official opening, the art collection was well known, and by appointment anyone could view the works of art stored there.

In the XVIII century, the gallery was the first museum in Florence that was accessible to all. It happened in 1737, when the last representative of the powerful Medici dynasty, Anna Maria Louisa, donated the Uffizi Gallery to the Florentines.

Today the art collections are housed in an area of 13 thousand square meters. It is one of the most visited attractions in Italy. Uffizi Gallery is extremely popular with tourists, a visit to it is included in many excursion programs, and the line for a ticket lines up for several hours.

The collection of the famous museum is so large that a detailed tour of the collections will take more than a day. Works of art are displayed in chronological order and occupy more than fifty halls. Walking through them, you can trace how painting traditions changed from the 13th to the 18th century, from the Byzantine period to the heyday of the Baroque.

How did the famous gallery come to be?
The history of the world-famous art collection began in 1560, when the Italian painter and architect Giorgio Vasari commissioned the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I to build a large palace in Florence. The grand building had two wings and housed the judicial and administrative offices of the Tuscan magistracy – the Uffizi (offices). In addition to consolidating all the government offices (thirteen ministries) in one place, the grand duke had another task. He wanted the new palace complex to perpetuate the power and wealth of his family.

Five years later, within a few months, the talented architect had constructed an “air passage” that connected the Uffizi Palace, the new residence of the Medici rulers, Florence’s oldest bridge, the Ponte Vecchio, and the ancient Roman Catholic church of Santa Felicata. The covered gallery was 750 meters long. It was an architectural innovation and became known as the Vasari Corridor.

The Medici family was famous not only for its wealth and political influence. Its members appreciated works of art and gave maximum support to talented artists. The first collection of the Uffizi Gallery was created by Francesco I, son of Duke Cosimo I. Paintings from his personal collection were first hung in the Duke’s study, and in 1581 the entire top floor of the palace was devoted to them.