Bar Uffizi

The Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence is one of the most important art museums in the world and attracts millions of visitors every year. The complex of buildings was constructed between 1560 and 1581 to designs by Giorgio Vasari, Bernardo Buontalenti, and Alfonso Parigi the Younger. It was originally built to house government offices, which is where the name "Uffizi" comes from. To make room for the new construction, an entire city district had to be demolished or incorporated, including the Romanesque church of San Piero Scheraggio. Vasari unified the architecture with added façades and in doing so created a square connecting the Piazza della Signoria with the banks of the Arno. Today the museum houses one of the most significant art history collections, focusing on Renaissance painting and sculpture but also including works from the 13th to 18th centuries by artists from all over Europe.

The history of the collection is inseparably tied to the House of Medici. Cosimo I de' Medici initiated the construction, while his successor Francesco expanded the art collection on the upper floor. One highlight is the Tribuna, an octagonal room that was used to display works of art starting in 1580. The Medici continued adding to their collection until the family line died out in 1737. The last member of the house, Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, bequeathed the property to the city of Florence on the condition that it never be removed from the city. After her death in 1743, the collections were opened to the public. The ground floor once housed workshops where Bartolomeo Cristofori, among others, developed the prototype of the piano, making the Uffizi the birthplace of that instrument.

For visitors, the museum offers a unique chronological arrangement of its exhibits, providing a logical introduction to the art history of Western Europe. You begin with ancient Greek and Roman sculptures, then move through religious iconography to the Renaissance and on to the modern era. Among the most famous pieces is the Medici Venus, an ancient marble figure embodying the Venus pudica type. The large painting collection is housed on the third floor, while the Vasari Corridor, which connects the Uffizi with the Palazzo Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti, displays a collection of self-portraits. The second floor holds the collection of drawings and prints founded by Leopoldo de' Medici. On the ground floor, you can also see the remains of the Romanesque church, most of which was demolished when the museum was built.