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The Uffizi Gallery covers
an area of about 8.000 sq.m.. and contains one of the most
important collections of art of all times, including classical
sculpture and paintings on canvas and wood by 13th to 18th
century Italian and foreign schools.
The Gallery of the Uffizi was also the first museum ever to
be opened to the public: in fact the Grand Duke granted permission
to visit it on request from the year 1591. Its four centuries
of history make the Uffizi Gallery the oldest museum in the
world.
Cosimo I de' Medici decided to build the Palace, whose construction
was started by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 and later completed
by Buontalenti, who designed the famous Tribune, to house
the administrative offices (or "uffizi") of the
Government because Palazzo Vecchio, which also overlooks Piazza
della Signoria, had become too small to hold them all.
However it was his son Francesco I who was responsible for
starting to turn the palace into a museum in 1581, when he
closed the second floor Gallery with huge windows and arranged
part of the grand-ducal collection of classical statues, medals,
jewellery, weapons, paintings and scientific instruments here.
Telephone number of the Uffizi art gallery
is 055 294 883, (closed on Monday) www.uffizi.firenze.it (NB
at the time of writing June 2005 you cannot book tickets online).
In high season i.e. April to June and September and October,
it’s always a good idea to book a ticket in advance in order
to avoid the museum’s notoriously long and slow-moving queues
- see www.uffizi.firenze.it.
To Reserve Tickets in advance
- You can call the museum - 055-294-883 and reserve your ticket
and time. Indeed, you can reserve times for all the main Florence
Attractions: Uffizi, Accademia, Bargello, Medici Chapels,
Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. The Code for Italy is 39
so if you were calling from the UK dial 0039 055 294883 --
if you are calling Italy from the USA then begin the number
011-39-number). Call between 8:30-18:30 Mon-Fri (Italian time)
or 8:30-12:30 on Saturdays. An English-speaking operator will
give you a reservation and confirmation number. You pay for
the tickets when you collect them directly at the Uffizi art
gallery.
Did you Know? - he Uffizi
has a room filled with nothing but Botticellis, including
the famous Birth of Venus and the glowing Allegory of Spring,
along with stunning works by Michelangelo and Titian.
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