Hey guys,

Today, in one of my last posts about Florence in Italy, I want to tell you about the Uffizi Gallery there. Even from the outside they look very impressive. Unfortunately we didn't have a green pass (thanks corona or thanks to our scatterbrainedness ;)). But they are also very impressive from the outside. And I still didn't want to deprive you of them. They are simply part of a series of posts about Florence. Just like Cologne Cathedral belongs to Cologne.

The largest collection of paintings of the Renaissance

For those who have never heard of the Uffizi Gallery: They are in Florence and belong to the most famous art collections in the world beyond national and even continental borders. They represent sagor the largest collection of paintings of the Renaissance.

What that looks like is shown by what I think are some impressive figures: The works of art in these collections are exhibited in a whole 50 halls. In fact, there are so many paintings and works that some of them are in storage, as the exhibition and its rooms do not offer enough space to present them all to visitors.

In the upper part of the building, visitors are shown works of painting and sculpture. These range historically from antiquity to the late Baroque. A little tip: If you want to visit the Uffizi from the inside, don't just think about the Green Pass, but also about booking well in advance. The tickets are very popular and there was a queue long before the building opened.
You can then choose different options, for example, you can borrow audio guides or have a guide lead you specifically through the Uffizi and also learn a little more than what is revealed in the audios. In fact, forgetting the Green Pass is what I miss most when I think back to my visit to Italy. I will definitely be going to Italy again in the next few years and I won't miss this opportunity a second time!

The history of the Uffizi is inextricably linked to the Medici family

The Medici family had a great influence on Florence during the Renaissance. This is one of the reasons why Florence became what it is today. Their influence can still be felt in the city today. The family has left its footprints especially in the artistic and cultural spheres.
It is mainly thanks to them that Florence is a repository for the most diverse artistic treasures of Italian painting, sculpture and architecture. Some of the world's most famous Renaissance artists came from Florence.
Among them were Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Botticelli, to name but three ;)

A secret passage

And this is how the story of the family begins: Cosimo Medici I was only 18 years old when he became Duke of Florence and Tuscany. During the time he held the office, the city of Florence became a cultural and artistic metropolis. This was mainly due to the fact that he promoted the city in this respect: a building for the city administration was built on the river Arno. It was actually only intended to house offices. Hence the name "uffici". The building was constructed in the shape of a U. At that time, an entire city quarter had to disappear for the construction. History was made here.
There was even a connecting passage between the government building Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Pitti.
What I actually find most interesting about the building is that there is a secret passage, the so-called "Corridoio Vasariano". The corridor starts at the Palazzo Vecchio, crosses the Via della Ninna in a walled bridge, crosses part of the galleries of the Uffizi, descends long stairs to the river Arno, there it leads along the river over the arcades to the Ponte Vecchio. It crosses the Ponte Vecchio and on the other side of the Arno, in front of the church of Santa Felicita, it leads to the Boboli Gardens and on to Palazzo Pitti. This was also a bit difficult for me at the beginning, but it's a secret passage and you can take a map to help you think haha. The purpose of the secret passageway was so that the princes could use it to move unescorted from their residence to the government palace.

As you can see, we couldn't resist trying Italian pasta in Florence. Okay, I had carbonara for once. And I have to say, the Italians really do pesto better haha.

What do you say to the Uffizi and the secret passage? Even from the outside, I was very impressed by the Uffizi. Have you ever been there, maybe even inside and seen the artworks up close? How did you like my post? Feel free to write me in the comments! See you next time!