Everyone goes to Italy for a different reason. Some long to see the sights of ancient Rome. Others want to experience the fashion scene in Milan. Still, others simply want to relax on the beaches of the Italian Riviera or explore the rugged island of Sicily. But for art buffs, nothing says “Italy vacation” like a trip to cultural Florence.
Birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, Europe’s richest cultural era, and home to artists like Michelangelo and a host of others, Florence is still considered the center for art in Italy and – indeed – in all of Western Europe. International travelers head to the city year round for their Italy vacation, especially in the summer, to view not only some of the world’s greatest art museums but also breathtaking ecclesiastical structures and palazzi that have long been part of the fabric of the city. And for those who love all kinds of culture, there’s music, theater, dance, cinema, and so much more, especially during the peak summer tourist months when festivals galore bring art out onto the streets, where passersby can enjoy an impromptu opera performance, a joyous Italian folk dance troupe, or a movie projected onto the wall of one of Florence’s opulent villas.
The city’s premiere art museum is the Uffizi Gallery, a destination that should be on the itinerary of any Italy vacation. The structure that is now the museum was built in 1581 by the Medici family as an office building for the local magistrates. But soon, the palace was housing the great art work owned by the Medicis and attracting Italy’s great artists as well, all of whom gathered there “for beauty, for work, and for recreation”, according to author Gloria Fossi, who wrote a comprehensive account of Uffizi Gallery, its art, and those who frequently visited the palace. This museum officially opened to the public in 1765 and, since that time, it remains Florence’s most popular tourist attraction, with visitors waiting for hours to enter the palace during peak tourist months. And no wonder! Inside the walls are some of the best works ever created by artists like di Vinci, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Dürer, and many others.
The Uffizi isn’t the only art gallery in Florence worth exploring on your next Italy vacation, especially if the lines there are too long. Be sure to consider a visit to the Accademia, the first academy of drawing in Europe and home to Michelangelo’s David; Museo Nazionale del Bargello, a mecca for great sculpture; the Galleria Palatina, located in the Pitti Palace and home to elaborate frescoes and painted ceilings as well as major works of art; and Museo degli Argenti, where guests can view decorative arts like clocks, vases, jewelry, and other fancy doo-dads, all belonging to the Medici family.
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