The Uffizi Gallery in All its Glory

By Alyssa Barnes

The Uffizi Gallery is undoubtedly one of the most famous museums in all of Italy. Of course, Italy has plenty of art and museums that intrigue people, but tourists come from around the world to see works of art in the Uffizi from The Birth of Venus to Medusa.

HISTORY OF THE UFFIZI

Giorgio Vasari was the leading architect and designer of the Uffizi. He was commissioned by Granduca Francisco de’ Medici, son of Cosimo I, in the 15th century and the Uffizi was built in 1581.

Bernardo Buontalenti was the one who ultimately finished the building of the Uffizi when Vasari passed away in 1574. One of the biggest things that Buontalenti did was to complete the Tribuna, which was a room in the east wing of the top floor of the Uffizi that housed private family collections of the Medici family. This room was completed in 1584 and represented the four elements by the way it was decorated in marble, precious stones and shells from top to bottom.

The Uffizi has a secret corridor that connects the museum to the Pitti Palace. The Pitti Palace was eventually owned by the Medici family and the secret corridor gave them privacy to go to church without worrying about walking through the crowds.

MUSEUM SET UP

The Uffizi is made up of three floors that have all of the artworks and sculptures spread out over them. The ground floor is where the ticket office and entrances to the museum are located. There is also a small shop that visitors can stop at to browse at all the souvenirs that they can buy to remember their time at the Uffizi.

The first floor of the museum is filled with artwork from the “Cabinet of Prints and Drawings”. This art is very different from what visitors typically expect to see when visiting the Uffizi. The art is more modern than the classic styles of Sando Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci or even Raphael. Guests are often shocked to see such abstract and modern pieces when entering the first floor. Rachael Keller, a tourist on vacation with her family, was shocked when she entered the museum. “I did not expect this type of art to be the first thing I saw when I walked in,” Keller said. “I was so confused I thought I had entered the wrong museum for a second.”

The second floor of the museum is where all of the classic artwork is that the Uffizi is known for. The entrance to the second floor is a grand staircase that was built in the 1500s. This floor is decorated with different artworks and sculptures in every corner. Even the ceilings themselves are art.

Caption: Ceilings of the Uffizi.

The Uffizi is set up in almost a U-shape and as visitors walk around the main hallway there are doors that have different styles of art or different artists in each room. There are 45 different halls that have artworks from the 13th to the 18th centuries.

This floor is where one of the most iconic paintings, The Birth of Venus, can be seen. People flock to this painting to take pictures and admire the beauty of it. Tour guides are often talking to their tour groups explaining the history of this painting to dozens of people. No matter what, there is sure to be a crowd of people around The Birth of Venus at all times.

Birth of Venus which depicts feminine traits

LOGGIATO

The Loggiato of the Uffizi is a semi-enclosed space right outside in the middle of the U-shaped building. Tourists often walk through this area, and it is cluttered with local artists trying to sell their artwork. Some of this art includes portraits or just art about Florence in general.

The Loggiato is most famous for the statues of famous Tuscans that are carved into the pillars of the outside of the ground floor. Some of the people displayed in these statues are Galileo Galilei, Pier Antonio Micheli, Francesco Redi, Niccolo Macchiavelli, Giovanni Boccaccio, Leonardo da Vinci and Donatello.

Caption: Sculptures of famous Tuscans in the Loggiato

Leonardo da Vinci and Donatello are some of the most recognizable names here to most tourists. Donatello was an Italian sculptor during the Renaissance period and was actually born in Florence. He spent many years studying classic sculptures and then created his own style of sculptures for the Renaissance.

Gina Butler, a tourist, said that she has visited the Uffizi multiple times in the past but has never appreciated the Loggiato until recently. “I guess I had never really noticed the sculptures on the outside of the building before because I was too focused on seeing the art in the inside,” Butler said. “On my last visit. I finally noticed them and was amazed at all the little details that I had never seen before. I always notice something new every time I visit the Uffizi.”

Leonardo da Vinci is one of the most famous artists of all time and has been credited with being the founder of the High Renaissance. About five years ago, the Uffizi dedicated a room to da Vinci’s art. “Da Vinci is one of my favorite artists so I’m glad he has a whole room dedicated to his art in the Uffizi and the layout of the art is very strategic with the most recognized painting being the center point,” Butler said.

The art in this room is encased in climate-controlled cases that protect it from any potential harm or damage. The Baptism of Christ is located on the left side of the room and the Annunciation is on the opposite wall in the room. In the middle wall of the room is the Adoration of the Magi. This is the artwork that most people crowd around to try to get a good picture of.

All of the rooms in the Uffizi were designed with intention. The layouts of the rooms are designed so that people can see every piece of artwork and not miss a single thing. With all of the beauty of the art, it only makes sense that an even more beautiful building was created to showcase the art.