One of the most prominent art museums in the world - Uffizi Gallery, is located in the Uffizi Complex that dates back to 1581. Much of the collection was bestowed upon the state of Tuscany by the Medici family in the 1700s to ensure that the work of some of Italy's greatest artists would remain where it belonged for the benefit of its people. The gallery consists of 40 rooms showcasing the work of some of the world's most renowned Renaissance masters, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Caravaggio and also includes Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera. Works of distinguished Flemish, Dutch and German painters are also on display here. The corridors and ceilings are anointed with splendid frescoes and lined with 16th-century Roman sculptures. Originally built to house legislative and administrative offices, the Uffizi Complex is a work of art in itself, designed by the noted architect, Giorgio Vasari.
Founded in the year 1784, the Galleria dell'Accademia is perhaps best-known for Michelangelo's David, removed after four centuries from Piazza Signoria, now exhibited in a specially constructed hall. Other works by Michelangelo include some of his Slave series and his sculpture of San Matteo. Also featured is an impressive collection of paintings from the 13th to 16th Centuries. Among the gallery's most noted works: a Sienese school Crucifix from the 13th Century, 24 panels by Taddeo Gaddi representing scenes from the Life of Christ and St Francis as well as Giovanni da Milano's Pietà. Embodying the artistic culture of Florence, this remarkable gallery is a must-have on the itinerary.
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo has been totally renovated and is located behind the Duomo. The museum shelters many works of art from the Duomo (cathedral), Campanile (bell tower) and Battistero (Baptistery), such as the statue of Boniface VIII, the work of Arnolfo di Cambo, or Donatello's Saint John and Magdalena. The furnishings are also important, for example, the silver altar from the Battistero and the restored panels of the Gates of Paradise.
The building which contains the Museo Nazionale del Bargello dates back to 1255. In the 16th Century, it became the residence of the bargello (head of police) and doubled as a prison. Then halfway through the 19th Century it was given to the national museum. A visit begins with the splendid courtyard and the ground floor room where some of Michelangelo's masterpieces are exhibited, including the bust of Brutus and the David-Apollo statue. There are several of the early works of Donatello on the first floor, amongst them statues of David in marble and of St George and David in bronze. Also here are terracottas, glazed by Luca della Robbia, of the Virgin Mary with Child. The museum bought some minor decorative art including ivories from the Roman and the Byzantine periods, medieval enamels, German and French goldsmith's art and Renaissance jewelry.
One of the earliest examples of Italian landscaped gardens, the Boboli Gardens represent the royalty of 16th Century Italy. Dotted with glistening ponds and ornate fountains, the lush gardens spread across an area of 45,000 square meters (11 acres). Inside the Gardens lies the Buontalenti grotto (1583-1593). Decorated with Mannerist-style scenes from Greek and Roman mythology, the grotto includes reproductions of Michelangelo's famous Slave series, the originals of which were transferred to the Galleria dell'Accademia. In the 17th Century, the garden was extended as far as the Porta Romana, adding the Vasca d'Isola (pond) at the center with a fountain and a statue of Neptune. In the late 18th Century, Zanobi del Rosso built the Kaffehaus pavilion. Admission includes entry to the Museo delle Porcellane, Galleria del Costume, Museo degli Argenti and the Bardini Gardens.
Constructed between 1444 and 1460 and designed by Michelozzo Michelozzi, this palace was built at the request of Cosimo the Great and represents a typical Renaissance-style Florentine palace. The palace has seen several renovations and in the mid-1660s was sold to the Riccardi family. The Riccardi family made the residence larger and constructed the Baroque-style Galleria (frescoed by Luca Giordano). The Riccardi owned the palace until 1814 when it became the seat of the Ministero degli Interni and from 1871, was the Prefecture of Florence. Of particular note is the Medici Chapel where the famous frescoes of Benozzo Bozzoli are located, depicting the Procession of the Magi (1459) which includes portraits of important society figures such as Lorenzo the Magnificent and Galeazzo Maria Sforza.
Museo Zoologico La Specola's oldest core collection, like all of the Florentine museums, comes from the Medici collections. The Medici collected many natural treasures like fossils, animals, minerals and exotic plants. It was Pietro Leopoldo of Lorena who acquired the buildings and who created the Natural History Museum complete with its own library. At present the museum is more of a research institute, exhibiting to the public only a small part of the collection with examples of taxidermy and the prestigious collection of anatomical wax works. The most important parts of this collection come from an exponent of Florentine wax working, Clemente Susini (1754-1814).
Museo della Deportazione also known as the Museum and Centre of Documentation of Deportation and Italian Resistance is located in the Prato region of Central Italy. Home to some of the rarest finds, the museum houses many artifacts pertaining to the history of the birth and spread of Fascism in Italy. It chronicles the source and growth of the political movement. The museum contains journals, documents and other specimens on the religious persecution and banishment of innocents in concentration camps and other such evil practices during World War II. Check website for more information.
The Palazzo's construction began in 1299 and it was enlarged repeatedly - in 1343, 1495 and lastly in the 16th Century by Giorgio Vasari and Buontalenti. It has been the symbol and the political center of the city for centuries. The Great Room of the Cinquecento stands out: it was designed as a reception area and decorated with frescoes celebrating Florentine victories against the other Tuscan cities and with sculptures depicting the Deeds of Hercules by De Rossi. On the upper floors the Quarters of the elements are noteworthy as are those of Eleonora of Toledo who was the wife of Cosimo I and to whom the little chapel by Bronzino is dedicated. The Sala dei Gigli and the Sala dell'Audienza, which has a marble entrance, are sumptuous. On the Mezzanine there is the Loeser collection of painted sculptures. It is recommended that you visit the upper balcony where you can enjoy a fabulous view of Florence. In front of the museum, you'll find a copy of Michelangelo's David.
Established in the 1960's, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Prato exhibits the works of the Cathedral and the Shrine of the Sacred Belt. The museum conducts tours that lets visitors experience the original artwork created for the cathedral. Known for having one of the most important collections of sculptures in the world: The Gates of Paradise, Cantorias and The Deposition, this exceptional art gallery is a must visit when in Prato.
SanGimignano1300 is a one of a kind museum dedicated entirely to the life and times of the ancient city of San Gimignano. Set up in 2010, the museum is the culmination of the vision of two master artists, Michelangelo and the renowned Raffaello Rubino. On offer is a beautiful, large and finely detailed miniature reconstruction of medieval San Gimignano, enabling us to view the town as it would have looked like at the height of its maximum splendor. Each of the 800 structures and 72 towers have been diligently recreated and done entirely by hand using natural pigments and terracotta. Storyboards, multi-media exhibits, street scenes, and a ceramic recreation of the city as it existed in 1300, are just a few of the exhibits that make this a must see family event.
One of the most prominent art museums in the world - Uffizi Gallery, is located in the Uffizi Complex that dates back to 1581. Much of the collection was bestowed upon the state of Tuscany by the Medici family in the 1700s to ensure that the work of some of Italy's greatest artists would remain where it belonged for the benefit of its people. The gallery consists of 40 rooms showcasing the work of some of the world's most renowned Renaissance masters, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Caravaggio and also includes Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera. Works of distinguished Flemish, Dutch and German painters are also on display here. The corridors and ceilings are anointed with splendid frescoes and lined with 16th-century Roman sculptures. Originally built to house legislative and administrative offices, the Uffizi Complex is a work of art in itself, designed by the noted architect, Giorgio Vasari.