With its immense artistic legacy, the Uffizi Gallery, now The Uffizi, is one of the most important museums in the world. Following a substantial reorganization in the 17th century, which led to the transfer of some collections (arms, scientific instruments, archaeological finds, ancient and modern bronzes) to other sites and the establishment of new museums, the Uffizi mainly became a picture gallery, with thousands of works ranging from the 13th to the 18th centuries. After the suppression of churches and convents in the 18th and 19th centuries, many works of ecclesiastical provenance swelled the gallery’s collections; other important paintings were acquired at the beginning of the 20th century.
Masterpieces held in the museum include: the large altarpieces of Cimabue and Giotto; 14th-century Sienese art (including a fine Annunciation by Simone Martini); a rich spectrum of 15th-century art from Tuscany and central Italy, with works by Masaccio and Masolino (Madonna and Child with Saint Anne), Filippo Lippi, Botticelli (Birth of Venus and the Primavera), Piero della Francesca (Portraits of Duke Federico da Montefeltro and his Duchess Battista Sforza of Urbino) and Gentile da Fabriano (Adoration of the Magi).
The rooms devoted to 16th-century painting contain works by the masters of the principal Italian schools: from the Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci to Michelangelo and Raphael, while Titian, with his Venus of Urbino, Veronese and Tintoretto represent the flowering of painting in the Veneto. Foreign artists are also well represented, with works by Albrecht Dürer, Hans Holbein and El Greco.
The series of 17th-century works opens with Caravaggio’s Bacchus, and features a rich range of work from the major European schools, including Rubens, Van Dyck and the self-portraits by Rembrandt. Finally, Canaletto and Guardi, together with Longhi and Tiepolo, offer a sample of 18th-century art. In addition, the gallery holds ancient sculptures, miniatures and tapestries from the Medici collections. Work is currently underway on the ‘New Uffizi’, which will double the amount of exhibition space, permitting the display of works previously inaccessible to the public.
A map of suggested paths in the gallery - including their duration - is available on the Uffizi Official Website.
Gli Uffizi
Piazzale degli Uffizi, 50122 Firenze FI, Italia
The Gallery takes the first and second floor of the Vasarian building. The visit starts from the second floor.
Entrance
Accessible entrance is in via della Ninna, between Palazzo Vecchio and the Galleria degli Uffizi, through a ramp presenting a slight change of level. Free and priority access for disable people in accordance with the law. A map of suggested paths in the gallery - including their duration - is available on the Uffizi Official Website.
The entrance to the museum is through door 1 (priority access), where metal detectors and two elevators for standard wheelchairs are available. For visitors using motorized wheelchairs or mobility scooters, the entrance is through the Vasari Auditorium with the assistance of the museum's staff. The museum provides standard wheelchairs for visitors free of charge and without reservation (by door 1). Visitors are required to leave an ID as a deposit.
.On the first floor, the Gabinetto dei Disegni e delle Stampe is fully accessible.
On the corridor, at the entrance, the itinerary Uffizi by Touch starts. Gloves are required, please ask the operators. The tactile pathway includes 14 sculptures form the archaeological collection: artworks have captions in Braille, for users with low vision, in Italian and English versions, and a tactile model describing the Sala Niobe. The itinerary is accessible without any support.
Two publications designed for blind and visually impaired individuals are available for purchase at the museum's bookshop and online on the official website (www.uffizi.it). The two tactile books, "Sandro Botticelli, Primavera" and "Raffaello Sanzio, La Velata," consist of tactile illustrations and Braille texts. Additional insights in the form of audio and text can be accessed thanks to QR codes.
it is also possible to enjoy the video descriptions of the Uffizi Gallery masterpieces in Italian Sign Language (LIS) with Italian subtitles, and a version in International Sign Language is now available with English subtitles.
The Uffizi Activity Bag is a bag provided to autistic visitors and their families during their museum visit. The kit inside is designed for individuals with medium to low functioning autism to support the visit and manage stress. Reservation is required at least one week in advance of the visit. The service is available from Tuesday to Friday, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, excluding pre-holidays and holidays.
The coffee shop is on the second floor at the end of the corridor (to reach by a manual staircase lift chair).
Services: accessible bathrooms (08.00am – 6.15pm)
- Second floor before the Coffee Shop, West corridor, indicated on a totem. Please ask the staff for the key in room number 45. Baby Pit Stop inside the coffee shop, a breastfeeding area open until 6pm.
- Mezzanine floor, between second and first floor reachable and indicated inside the elevator, 8am-6.15pm.
Exit: as visitors choose the Classic Path (see the map), operators on duty in the last exhibition hall, on the first floor, will help visitors, to reach elevators (after Caravaggio's Rooms) in order to lead them to the ground floor.
Bookshop: the biggest bookshop is located on the ground floor, near the exit of the Classic Path.
Post Office: the post office is located in front of the exit door (Classic Path).
Notice: waiting for a reopening of the Vasarian Corridor, the Path of the Prince (access from the overpass of Palazzo Vecchio) has been provided with a vertical concealed platform to overcome architectural barriers. Temporarily closed!
An Info Point in piazzale degli Uffizi is available to help visitors. Guide dogs are admitted to assist blind people and disabled, prior confirmation by email.
Another space is accessible inside the Uffizi: the Auditorium Vasari, a venue for events and conferences, on the ground floor, access from Ala di Ponente (west side of the loggia).
For information, please contact the Accessibility and Inclusion Department by calling +39 055 2388617, Monday – Friday 9.30am-4:30pm. uffiziaccessibili@cultura.gov.it ; www.uffizi.it/en/ts/accessibility
