Florence

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The Uffizi Gallery

Like a very precious treasure chest, the Uffizi Gallery will grant itself to visitors just a little bit at a time: from the initial uncertainty on where to get tickets, getting through lines to get inside and at the metal detector, then taking two flights of Renaissance-era stairs before you arrive at the actual entrance to the museum. Finally, the Gallery unveils its stunning frescoed ceilings and the start of its collections.

The museum is organized as a long labyrinth of rooms with amazing works of art displayed roughly in chronological order along a U-shaped Renaissance building which was never created to be a  museum. Cosimo de’ Medici had entrusted his favorite architect Giorgio Vasari to create a grandiose building right next to Palazzo Vecchio, the seat of power, to host the magistrates, the seats of the Florentine Guilds, a vast theatre and judiciary offices (hence the name “Uffizi” which means offices in Italian).

This is so you understand that these spaces were not “born” as a museum nor intended to welcome up to an average of 10.000 people a day, which they do now. The halls of the top floor of the Uffizi at first were only accessible to the Grand Ducal family, servants and only a few select guests where the family started to place the many pieces of their personal private collections. Guests were welcomed on the top floor to admire the grandiose collection of Roman sculptures the Medici loved to collect.

The art-fond Medici family also collected manuscripts, gems, coins and cameos over the centuries. With Francesco I, there is the first private room dedicated to items that were “any kind of wonder” which they thought were interesting objects.

Buontalenti created for Francesco I an octagonal shaped Tribune to host his favorite works of art and jewels: the Tribune is considered the most ancient and precious heart of the Uffizi, still maintaining its original shape from its construction in 1584.

The concept of “museum” will be developed much later by Peter Leopold of the Lorraines in 1769, when he opens the Uffizi Gallery and its treasures to the public. He would have never imagined that it would become one of the most frequented museums in the world. Serious art lovers should visit the Uffizi at least twice to see all of it!

A walk through the Collections

• Botticelli’s Primavera and Birth of Venus (hall 10-14)
• Filippo Lippi’s Madonna and Child with Two Angels (hall 8)
• Titian’s Venus of Urbino (hall 83)

Lots of other works, including works by the early Masters Cimabue and Giotto (hall 2), Early Rennaisance pioneers Fra Angelico and Masaccio, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Start from the Gothic painters which include Giotto and Cimabue, who left us some of the largest altarpieces. The magic of the first hall (actually Hall 3) is the sensation of being welcomed inside an ancient church, with low lighting reminding us of candle lights. Enjoy a walk through the Hall of Early Renaissance painters (Hall 8 and 9) like Paolo Uccello and Masaccio and a special stop in front of the unmistakable Portraits of the Dukes of Urbino, by Piero della Francesca. The profile of Federico da Montefeltro is one of the most impressive portraits of the Renaissance.

A few steps from the diptych you’ll find the largest hall of the museum, housing the most stunning and breathtaking paintings by Sandro Botticelli (Halls 10-14). Stop for a few minutes to simply admire in silence the large panel of the Allegory of Spring and the canvas of the Birth of Venus. The newly reopened and renovated halls now have a double ceiling with softer but better lighting to really enjoy these masterpieces. Enjoy the many other Botticelli works of art in these rooms.

The Tondo Doni by Michelangelo and Raphael’s portraits (now in halls 35 and 66), and Leonardo da Vinci’s one and only completed panel painting, The Annunciation, are considered the height of Renaissance works, described by Vasari as “The School of the World” for any painter.

From the far end of the corridors, enjoy the great view to see San Miniato Church and the Bardini Gardens across the Arno and, last but not least, the Ponte Vecchio over the Arno river. By this time you will have just seen one fourth of the museum… you still have three long corridors to walk along before the book shop and exit!

Touring the Uffizi is surely one of the highlights of visiting Florence. The best part of the day to visit is doubtless in the afternoon; better after 4pm once large groups have left the museum. Take your time, enjoy glancing at the portraits, the views over the hills, the unforgettable priviledge of walking through “the Medici offices” with patience and respect for timeless treasures.

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Bardini Gardens in the Center of Florence

Be Prepared to be Wowed

A city like Florence, well known for its amazing art collections, monumental architecture and rich historic past can sometimes have you forget about the natural beauty that abounds in the form of well maintained gardens and parks. And then, when you do think about them, it is places like Boboli Gardens, the colorful Iris and Rose gardens, and even the Botanical Garden in the city center that come to mind first.
The magical silence and stunning architecture in the Bardini Gardens seem to get lost in the crowd of places to visit while in Florence.

Bardini Gardens – Panoramic terrace

Not many local people really know of this gem, and at moments it isn’t that crowded (not while the wisteria is in bloom, though). The 4-hectare garden was restored in 2006 to part of its original glory and is slowly being discovered by locals and visitors to the city of Florence. First time visitors to the Renaissance city just might not have time to fit it into their already full itinerary; however, those who are coming back to Florence again (and again and again) should really find time to walk the grounds. In an hour you can stroll the entire garden easily and calmly, and that is what this garden deserves: time for a short stroll that will soothe your soul. If you have a book in hand, then head here and add an extra hour to just hang out and enjoy the views and your book.

Early Morning Hours & Twilight Vistas

My first visit to the garden couldn’t have been more impressive. I arrived shortly after it opened one warm, sunny April morning. The terraced position over the Arno River, and just above the awakening city, formed a sort of cocoon, where only the chattering birds and occasional butterfly kept me company. You should aim to enter through the Via dei Bardi entrance near the Arno, and slowly make your way up (but if you’re already at the top of the Boboli gardens, near the Forte Belvedere, and the gate is open, you could decide to head to the Bardini gardens which are already included in your entrance ticket and enter from the Costa San Giorgio entrance, at the top of the hill, then make your way down).

Bardini Gardens – Wisteria Tunnel

The first round of blooms were already decorating the gardens and the wisteria tunnel was in the beginning of its spectacular show (which occurs in mid April – beginning of May, more of what you see in the photo above). It was the perfect moment to admire the Baroque style stairwell and the mini-gardens on each terrace.

The baroque flight of steps is the most picturesque part of the garden, with its viewpoint over the city and the six fountains with their multi-material mosaic bottoms.

If you turn around at this point, the skyline of Florence will spread from left to right. You will be close enough to admire the detail on the major monuments, but the distance creates a buffer for the daily noise of the city. Each time you move up to a new level, surprising views opened up over Florence, framed by the various trees in the garden that were in bloom. The panoramic views are decidedly a winning feature of the gardens.

Bardini Gardens – Baroque stairs

Gardens as Florence’s Back Door
You will need to venture to the “Oltrarno” to find the Giardino Bardini. There are two entrances, as mentioned above: one at Via dei Bardi 1r, close to the Stefano Bardini Museum and the Ponte alle Grazie. You might find yourself looking for a green area or a picturesque garden gate; however, when you enter from here you go first into a stone building where you will find the ticket office. From here you will take some stairs up to the gardens (there’s also an elevator if you happen to have a stroller). The entrance walk into the gardens will have Florence to your back, and if you turn around you will have a view over the red terracotta rooftops and the Arno River.

The second entrance is from Costa San Giorgio 2, right next to the Fortezza Belvedere, along the medieval walls that surrounded Florence and an exit of the Boboli Gardens. This is where you also enter to the Villa Bardini itself where a variety of temporary cultural and artistic exhibits take place during the year, but to visit that you have to pay a separate ticket.

Bardini Gardens – Mosaic Wall

All of this area was a fruit orchard. Today you can find apple and pear trees along the way as you climb up. In medieval times, gardens were nice but they also usually had a practical goal. The position just outside the city walls was fundamental for supplying the family with food. The land for the garden and much of the hillside belonged to the Mozzi family, with documents showing it to be already a “garden” as far back as 1259.

The Mozzi family lost their property and then gained it back again in the late 1500’s. They managed to keep it in the family until 1880, when the family died out. During their possession, they continued to modify the gardens adding statues and flowers. They even purchased adjoining properties which added part of the Kaffeehaus along with it’s “grotta” (a man-made cave). After the last Mozzi passed away, everything was bought by Carolath Benten, and the garden took on various “Victorian” aspects.

It wasn’t until Stefano Bardini, the namesake of the gardens, came into possession of the land and villa that it began to take on its present shape. Unfortunately, in doing so, the medieval aspects have been lost, but one must certainly admire the changes he made which have left us with a unique masterpiece. It is this strange mix of styles which create an enchanting garden to explore.

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Ponte Vecchio An Everlasting Symbol of Florence

Open all of the time, along the pedestrian zone south of Piazza della Repubblica towards Palazzo Pitti

Built very close to the Roman crossing, the Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge, was the only bridge across the Arno in Florence until 1218. The current bridge was rebuilt after a flood in 1345. During World War II it was the only bridge across the Arno that the fleeing Germans did not destroy. Instead they blocked access by demolishing the medieval buildings on each side. On November 4, 1966, the bridge miraculously withstood the tremendous weight of water and silt when the Arno once again burst its banks.

Who Built the Bridge?

It is possible to document the first bridge since 966 and even its reconstruction after the flood in 1345 however, the present construction is a bit of a mystery. Even though Giorgio Vasari, an artist & chronalist from the 1500s, attributed the bridge to Taddeo Gaddi, the construction seems to point more towards the involvement of the Dominican friars with their keen sense of proportion, harmony and use of numbers. We do know however that the bridge was built as a system of defense, and the windows and artistic elements that we can admire now were added after the shops were sold to the merchants.

When the Medici moved from Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti, they decided they needed a connecting route from the Uffizi to the Palazzo Pitti on the other side of the Arno that would enable them to keep out of contact with the people they ruled. The result was the Corridoio Vasariano, built in 1565 by Giorgio Vasari and which runs above the little goldsmiths’ shops on the Ponte Vecchio.

There have been shops on Ponte Vecchio since the 13th century. Initially, there were all types of shops, including butchers and fishmongers and, later, tanners, whose “industrial waste” caused a pretty rank stench in the area. In 1593, Ferdinand I decreed that only goldsmiths and jewelers be allowed to have their shops on the bridge in order to improve the wellbeing of all, including their own as they walked over the bridge.

Benvenuto Cellini, a 16th century goldsmith, is honoured with a bust on the bridge. By night, the wooden shutters of the shops create a look like suitcases and wooden chests, making it a very suggestive route to take for an evening passeggiata, or stroll. Ponte Vecchio is a very romantic spot in Florence, with its great views over the river and of the bridge itself.

It is also possible to admire the bridge from underneath in theater presentations, the occasional concert and boat rides. After the disaster in 2016, there is talk of turning the work road constructed during the rebuilding of the river walls int a park area, where it will be possible to stroll the river banks and get a close-up view of the bridge.

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The Accademia Gallery: Beyond The World’s Most Famous Silhouette

If you’re thinking of visiting the Galleria dell’Accademia, you’re most likely target are the magnificent giant marble sculptures created by Michelangelo, and above all, the glorious David. If you explore the museum with a bit more time, the Accademia will offer you much more in the less crowded halls, satisfying any curiosity for botany, music, art symbols and painting techniques.

The Hall of the Colossus

• Michelangelo’s David and Prisoners
• Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabines
• Botticelli’s Madonna and Child and Madonna of the Sea

The Accademia welcomes the visitor in the Hall of the Colossus, name taken from the huge models of the Dioscuri of Montecavallo which were displayed in this large hall in the 19th century. It now hosts in the center the plaster model for the stunning marble sculpture of Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women. Giambologna prepared the model as an exercise in creating a tightly-knit group of three figures from just one large block of marble. He did not actually name the sculpture, it was meant to be as a “simple” exercise of skill and it became the first example of such magnificent talent.

Your glance will land upon the large number of panel paintings hanging on the four walls, such as works by Perugino, Filippino Lippi, Pontormo, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Bronzino. You might feel overwhelmed at first sight but if you take a seat around Giambologna’s plaster, you may comfortably enjoy this rich Renaissance collection and recognize two of the most important works. Next to the entrance on the right you’ll clearly pinpoint a narrow rectangular chest (Cassone Adimari). It is the front panel of a wedding chest belonging to the Adimari family, depicting a typical Florentine Renaissance wedding feast and portraying medieval streets, monuments (Baptistery on the left) and precious brocade garments witnessing the customs and wealth of the noble families of the 1450s.

The Galleria museum, as Florence’s second most popular museum, also often has a long line. Despite the slightly higher cost of entrance, you could reserve your tickets online.
Left to the chest, you cannot miss a small shaped panel by Botticelli, the Madonna of the Sea. It owes its name to the dim seascape in the background and its charm is preserved in the gold fine details and symbols defining the two characters. The pomegranate held by baby Jesus, symbol of Christ passion and the star “Stella Maris”, glittering on Mary’s dark blue robe.

The Musical Instrument Museum

If you go crazy for opera, theater and classic music, the Accademia is one of the best places you should visit. It hosts in fact the Grand Ducal collection of forty instruments exposed in the museum wing belonging to the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory. The collection unveils that music played a primary role in the official celebrations of the Medicean Court. Discover the roots of the invention of the Piano, created by Bartolomeo Cristofori for the Medici and explore the collection of Harpsichords, violins, violoncellos an wind instruments. Not to miss the original handmade Antonio Stradivari red spruce and maple wood “Medici violin” besides the multimedia explanation of the grandiose festivals arranged in town by the Medici in villas or theaters expressing proudly the richness of the fine cultural atmosphere of the 17th century.

Hall of the Prisoners and the Tribune: Michelangelo’s David and the Slaves

The most famous section of the Galleria is surely the Hall of the Prisoners, displaying Michelangelo’s unfinished “Slaves”. Today the arrangements of the Prisoners along the corridor is a growing crescendo of emotions to the feet of David, exposed under a circular skylight. Next to the Tribuna of David you’ll find a series of paintings by Alessandro Allori which are a delightful vocabulary of the symbolism of flowers. Chase the key for explaining hidden messages among a triumph of botanical species like tulips, daisies, lilies, lilies of the valley, citrus and forget-me-nots are displayed a few steps from David.

Next to the Allori large panels you’ll find the antic roots of the museum, the ancient core of the hospital which now is part of the Galleria dell’Accademia. In 1784, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Pietro Leopoldo, converted the friary hospital of San Matthew and the convent of San Niccolò di Cafaggio to house the Gallery so students in the adjoining Accademia delle Belle Arti (Fine Arts Academy) could study the greatest works of the past. Exactly in the “Gipsoteca Bartolini” you’ll find traces of the 19th century plaster casts by Lorenzo Bartolini, one of the greatest sculptors and brilliant professors of the Academy.

Florentine 13th century and Gothic Painting

The last section of the gallery downstairs is dedicated to Florentine Gothic painting. Gold backed altarpieces by Giotto and his followers like Bernardo Daddi and Orcagna constitute an invaluable art collection coming from the most important Florentine churches and antic suppressed convents. Brilliant colors of the recent restorations will introduce you to the fashion style and hairstyles of the Florentines of the Middle ages and Renaissance!
Top floor: late 14th century art.

Even if most visitors get out from the museum after these last rooms, I do encourage you not to miss the first floor of the Accademia, which is the definitely less crowded but very involving and informative (Giovanni da Milano & the Late 14th century rooms). It will give you the chance to learn how the altarpieces were prepared carefully starting by the selection of every poplar wood central vein.

A video focusing on egg tempera painting shows clearly how the drawing was created on the wood altarpiece, carefully decorated first with gold-leaf application and eventually painted with a mixture of natural pigments and egg yolk. You’ll be fascinated by this antic technique described by the Renaissance painter and illuminator of manuscripts Cennino Cennini. These antic techniques are sill alive in Florence in the fascinating art craft laboratories of the restorers!