Florence is seen by many as the cultural capital of Europe and the art and art history is so hard to avoid during a stay there and is the reason most people visit Florence. If you are planning an art based holiday in Italy, Florence should not be missed. The most famous cultural buildings in the city are the Galleria dell’ Accademia (the home to Michelangelo’s David), and the Galleria degli Uffizi (probably the primary museum in Europe for modern art). As you stroll through Florence you will be surrounded by paintings, sculptures and architecture and it is easy to become overwhelmed, but after all, Florence is the birthplace of Renaissance art. Book Florence apartment rentals today!
Galleria dell’Accademia
The Galleria dell’Accademia was probably the first art school when it was founded in 1563, the Accademia houses most of the religious paintings by Florentine artists completed between the mid-13th and late 16th centuries. The galleries collection also includes the works of 19th-century sculptors such as Bartolini and Pampaloni, and a display of Russian icons. Recently the Gallery has acquired a collection of musical instruments from the Cherubini Conservatory.
Like all Florentine galleries, the Accademia is home to an impressive collection of art and sculpture, the piece which everybody has on their must-see list is Michelangelo’s David. The original is safely inside the Accademia, but if you want to get a feeling for the statue and its history spend some time studying the weather-worn replica that is positioned where the original once stood.
Address: Galleria dell’Accademia 50122 Florence, Italy, Tel: 055 294883 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 055 294883 end_of_the_skype_highlighting (Tickets € 6,50)
The Uffizi
The Galleria degli Uffizi is Florence’s most famous and the world’s oldest art gallery, Inside you will find the largest collection of Italian and Florentine art in the world.
The focal point of the museum is the Botticelli Rooms. But you will also find Da Vinci’s Annunziazione, and Michelangelo’s Holy Family. There are rooms full of Raphaels, Titians, Veroneses, Tintorettos, Caravaggios, and Canalettos; but it is not all Italian, there are also masterpieces by Rubens, Van Dyck, and Rembrandt, amongst others. in the Uffizi.
When you visit Florence’s Uffizi Gallery you must pace yourself and not feel overwhelmed. You must take as much time as you possibly can as you are in the presence of the most important and greatest art collections in the world. But there is one point that you must know, you will not be able to see any of the masterpieces unless you have pre-booked.
Address: Piazzale degli Uffizi, Florence , Italy Tel: 0552 388651 Closed on Mondays
Palazzo Pitti
The Palazzo Pitti, also known as the Pitti Palace, is on the south side of the River Arno, only a short walk from the Ponte Vecchio. This enormous forbidding looking palace has an illustrious history dating back to 1458 when it was originally the town residence of the ambitious Florentine banker Luca Pitti. It was sold to the Medici family in 1549 and became the main residence of the ruling families of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany.
In the late 18th century, the palace was used briefly by Napoleon and when Florence was made capital of the infant kingdom of Italy in 1865 it served as the principal royal residence of the Royal family. King Victor Emmanuel III donated its contents of the palace to the state in 1919, and it was then opened to the public.
As you walk through the gallery you will find that the art is in no particular order. You will find work by Lippi, Botticelli and del Sarto, mixed with the art of the Tuscan masters. The collection boasts important works by other Italian and foreign painters. Among these being Raphael, Titian, Rubens and van Dyck.
In the museum, you will also find the opulent, but rather dark and depressing rooms where the Medicis and their successors slept and held court.
Address:Palazzo Pitti, Piazza Pitti, Florence , Italy Tel: 0552 388614 Closed on Mondays
Museo del Bargello
Among the artwork housed in this museum are masterpieces by Michelangelo, such as the marble bust of Bacchus and the toned of Madonna and Child. His Brutus and David-Apollo also grace this museum along with one of the most famous pieces of Italian Renaissance sculpture, Donatello’s David, which depicts David slaying Goliath, and has become one of the symbols of Florence.
The museum also has a fine collection of ceramics, textile, tapestries and bronzes. These include Andreas Bust of a Boy and Giovanni’s Pieta.
Address: Via del Proconsolo, 4 Florence, Italy Tel: 0552 388606, Tickets: € 4,00
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