All You Need to Know About Accademia & Uffizi in Florence

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Academia and Uffizi galleries are the two most visited museums in Florence. Each year, millions of visitors pass through their halls adorned with art. Both of them are home to numerous priceless masterpieces of the Renaissance period. But how did such extensive collections come into existence? Let’s peek into their past to find out!

Accademia Gallery

Origins

The Galleria dell’Accademia was founded in the 18th century by Grand Duke Peter Leopold of Lorraine. Originally, it was meant to serve as a teaching facility for students of the nearby Academy of Fine Arts. As the years went by, the gallery’s collection grew more diverse thanks to the efforts of the Grand Duke and later, even Napoleon himself. Compared to other museums, the Accademia Gallery is rather small. Nonetheless, it boasts an imposing artistic heritage.

Michelangelo's David

The most famous artwork in Accademia is Michelangelo's statue of David. He worked on the sculpture from 1501 to 1504 and sculpted it from a single block of marble. Not many people know that, originally, they intended to place David high up on the facade of Brunelleschi's Duomo. However, once Michelangelo finished, they realized that hiding David so high up would be a waste. A commission of artists and leading citizens decided to place the statue in front of Palazzo Vecchio, in Piazza della Signoria. However, in 1872, the city decided to move David to the Accademia for preservation; it took three days to move the statue! Book Duomo Florence Tickets now 2021.

Other Notable Works

While David is undoubtedly impressive, the gallery offers many more delights. For instance, the Hall of the Prisoners took its name after the four large male nude sculptures known as the “Prisoners” or “Slaves.” Originally, they were created by Michelangelo to adorn the tomb of Pope Julius II. These sculptures are particularly famous for their unfinished state. Michelangelo left them so intentionally, to depict the eternal struggle of humans to liberate themselves from the limits and physical weight of the matter.

Other great works include A copy of Rape of the Sabines by Giambologna; Tree of Life by Pacino di Buonaguida; paintings by Giotto, Botticelli, Bartolini and more.

Department of Musical Instruments

In the 20th century, Accademia opened a new collection, a Department of Musical Instruments. The over 50 instruments on display include pieces from the renowned Cherubini Conservatory that connects directly to the gallery. Most of them were originally part of the private collections of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany and the Medici family).

Uffizi Gallery

Origins

Unlike Accademia, Uffizi Gallery is incredibly large and its art collection even more so. Few people know the building that houses the gallery today was not built to be a museum. In 1560, Cosimo I de’ Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, commissioned the construction to house judiciary and administrative offices. In fact, the word “uffizi” in ancient Italian translates as “offices.”

The architect in charge was Giorgio Vasari. In addition to the building, he also created a secret corridor (known as Vasari’s corridor) connecting the offices with the Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti, homes of the Medici family. When the building was completed in 1580, Francesco I (Cosimo’s son) started using the rooftop loggia as a personal gallery…

The gallery opened to the public in 1769 on command of the Grand Duke Peter Leopold of Lorraine who also founded Accademia.

The Collections

Francesco’s collection of paintings, cameos, jewelry, statues, miniatures, bronzes, scientific instruments from the fifteenth century grew with every new Medici generation.

The Hall of Geographic Maps, displaying maps of the Medici domains in Florence, Siena, and Elba, and the Mathematics Room were added between the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1588, the gallery opened Opificio Delle Pietre Dure - a famous workshop providing semi-precious stone mosaics which still exists today. You can also see many artworks by names such as Titian, Raphael, Piero Della Francesca, Federico Barocci, and others.

Both the Accademia and Uffizi should be on the top of every traveler’s Florence attractions list. They not only show the artistic masterpieces but also paint a picture of the city’s rich, creativity-driven past. Because of their popularity, it’s advised you purchase your tickets in advance to get and avoid the long queues.