Interesting facts about The Uffizi Gallery

Uffizi Gallery is one of the best-known art museums in the world. Located at the center of Florence in Italy, the Uffizi Gallery holds a collection of priceless artworks.

 

If you are planning to visit Florence and Uffizi Gallery, we bring here the seven interesting facts of Uffizi Gallery to brush up your knowledge.

 

1.Although the Uffizi Gallery preserves the masterpieces and artworks from the world-class architect but this prominent art museum is the home of priceless works from the period of Italian Renaissance. The gallery displays the works of famous artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, Botticelli and Michelangelo and most of the collections date back to the 12th to the 17th century.

 

2.The Uffizi Gallery is one of the largest and most visited museums in the world. It welcomes almost 1.9 million visitors annually. During peak season the gallery is so crowded that sometimes tourists have to wait for up to 5 hours for the entrances. So, planning your visit in autumn and book online tickets helps to avoid long lines.

 

3.The Gallery is spread over two floors and there are 45 halls of artwork. So, it will take some time to explore each and every artwork. For those who are short on time, it is recommended that they unless moving to all parts of the hall, they should find out where the work of their favorite architects are located and spend enough time to appreciate their work.

 

4.The longest corridor in the world, The Vasari Corridor is located here which connects Uffizi Gallery to the Pitti Palace. It was built by Vasari in 1565 for the purpose Medici heir wedding. The Corridor is one kilometer long and has its own separate museum. Not many people know about the Vasari corridor on arriving and it is only available for a guided tour, so book your ticket in advance to avoid disappointment. 

 

5.The Uffizi Gallery was first opened to the public in 1769. In 1743, the last heiress of Medici, Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici left all the artwork to the Tuscan. The only requirement of the inheritance of Medici was that every piece of artwork should remain in Florence. After 25 years in 1769, the gallery has been opened for the public which featured a large portion of Medici Family collection. For this reason, the Uffizi Gallery becomes the first modern museum in history.

 

6.Due to its location near the Arno River, Uffizi Gallery has been affected by floods over the year which includes a severe flood of 1966. Due to this the many artworks were heavily damaged and needs restoration. Locals and even tourists made several efforts to save the artworks from being damaged. They got success in saving some and those were labeled as “mud Angeles”  in recognition of their efforts.

 

7.Only a few know that the famous masterpiece of Mona Lisa was once preserved in the Uffizi Gallery. In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris and was missing for 2 years. Thief Vincenzo Peruggia attempted to sell it but he did not succeed in that. When the painting was determined as real by the experts then it was temporarily hung at the Uffizi Gallery museum until it returned to the Louvre.

 

We hope that you enjoy these interesting facts about this prominent museum and if you ever plan to visit Florence don’t miss to explore the first modern museum.