Jul 14 2009
Friends of the Uffizi
Annunciation (detail), Simone Martini
A trip through the Uffizi in Florence is almost like a crash course in Renaissance Art. I didn’t quite know what I was in for heading into this gallery; it turned out to be one of the highlights of my recent trip to Italy. My boyfriend and I purchased a Friends of the Uffizi pass, as we knew that this is a blockbuster of a museum. The pass allowed us unlimited entries into the museum, which we used over the course of a few days (pass details here).
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The museum consists almost entirely of Florentine Renaissance paintings and sculptures. Arranged chronologically, viewers are able to link the progression of Renaissance art from the 13th to the 18th Century in their trip through the museum. The early Renaissance paintings, many of which are altar-like shaped canvases, are astounding in their straightforward approach to storytelling. The life of Christ is depicted in an almost storyboard manner on many of the various panels of the paintings. We loved the brutal simplicity of these works: angels floating on beams painted with gold leaf; halos so bright that they completely block out the background image; the hands of God peeking into picture planes.
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Primavera, Botticelli
From there, the works move into more sophisticated, self-aware forms of painting. The Botticellis maintain the mysterious, almost magical quality of some of these earlier paintings, but become secular. The scale and scope of his paintings are amazing; They tell complex, intricate stories, and span seasons and stages of life all in a single frame. My personal favorite was the Primavera, especially its depiction of over 200 individual species of flowers found throughout Tuscany. This element of the work is practically a side note, simply a backdrop for the main characters to dance upon.
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Another development in the history of image-making can be seen in the Caravaggios, right before leaving the museum. The dramatic scenes and lighting and the quality of his draughtsmanship seem like they could hardly have existed just a few hundred years after the tempura-on-wood pieces in the first rooms. Definitely do not miss the Medusa; it’s not every day that one gets to see a severed, snake-covered head depicted on a convex poplar wood shield.
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The few highlights that I mention here are just part of a countless number of spectacular paintings on display. There are Michelangelos, Da Vincis, Titians, and Rembrandts in addition to sculpture galleries, frescoes, and amazing interior architecture. The only complaint I had about my visit to the Uffizi was the lack of information about the artworks themselves on the didactic panels, which seemed to mostly focus on when the Uffizi acquired the painting. You may want to consider purchasing a guide book to the Uffizi to get some detail on the works, and to be sure that you see all the pieces that you are most interested in. Treasures of the Uffizi is available for purchase on our website.
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Friends of the Uffizi Pass:
It took 2 full days for myself and my boyfriend to cover the museum to an extent that we were happy with; the Friends of the Uffizi pass takes the pressure off of trying to cram this amazing museum into a single day. Pass holders are able to come and go as they please into the museum, and, most importantly, they can skip the lines by entering through the Friends of the Uffizi doors! In addition, pass holders have this same kind of “no-lines” access to a number of different museums in Florence, namely the Accademia, home of Michelangelo’s David. At the time of writing this, a ticket into the museum is 14 Euros; we nearly covered this in the three trips we made to the Uffizi. Adding in the Accedemia, the Boboli Gardens, and the Pitti Palace, we covered our costs easily.
How much it Costs (as of July, 2009):
60 Euros for individuals
100 Euros for a family of four
(See specifics here)
How to get it:
–To the left of the main entrance to the Uffizi, there is another door that leads into the Friends of the Uffizi office (this is in the museum). Bring your ID and get your pass on the spot.
–Order ahead of time online and receive the passes via snail mail (I’d allow 4 weeks).
Major attractions covered:
Galleria degli Uffizi
Galleria dell’Accademia
Palazzo Pitti
Galleria Palatina
Giardino di Boboli
Museo Nazionale del Bargello
Museo delle Cappelle Medicee
Museo di San Marco
(See full list here)
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My selection of must-see paintings in the Uffizi:
–Giotto: The Ognissanti Madonna, Badia Polyptych
–Sandro Botticelli: Primavera, The Birth of Venus, The Adoration of the Magi
–Leonardo da Vinci: The Annunciation, The Adoration of the Magi
–Albrecht Dürer: The Adoration of the Magi
–Simone Martini: Annunciation
–Michelangelo: The Doni Tondo
–Raphael: Madonna of the Goldfinch, Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de’ Medici and Luigi de’ Rossi
–Titian: Flora, Venus of Urbino
–Parmigianino: The Madonna of the Long Neck
–Caravaggio: Bacchus, The Sacrifice of Isaac, Medusa
–Correggio: Adoration of the Child
–Rembrandt Van Rijn: The self-portrait as a young man, self-portrait as an old man, portrait of an old man
And, most importantly, recommended eats by the Uffizi:
Lunch:
‘ino
via dei Georgofili 3r/7r
055.219.208
Delicious sandwiches, artisinal cheese and breads, and a glass of wine included with lunch. Doesn’t get much better than this.
Kate lives and works in Chicago, IL. Her interests include fine arts, food and wine, and baseball.
