Uffizi Guide (do it yourself)

The Uffizi Gallery is perhaps the number one attraction in Florence. I get a lot of requests from friends of friends to take them on a tour of the museum because you can enjoy it a whole lot better if you understand what you’re looking at. I cannot take everyone to the Uffizi, but on this blog I have posted a few helpful do it yourself guides to the museum. There are free downloadable podcast guides you can listen to while you visit, you can print out a list of important works, or you can read some of this online.

Printable map and guide to the Uffizi

On this blot there is a map and guide to important works in the Uffizi. This list works like a short do-it-yourself guide.

I have also written a longer, newer and I think more useful version that is for sale as an ebook on Amazon Kindle: see Uffizi Art History Guide. This guidebook lists the main works you should see and helps you learn how to understand what is happening in them.

Free Uffizi podcasts

Designed for children and their families, these four podcasts are pretty fun for anyone!

Introduction to the Uffizi gallery podcast: download this brief introduction to the building by Vasari and the logic of the collections.
Uffizi podcast: the Giotto Room: the Giotto room is the first room you enter in the galleries. With large Madonna’s by Giotto, Cimabue and Duccio, this room demonstrates the Tuscan proto-Renaissance. This guide helps you understand the subtle differences between these paintings.
Uffizi podcast: International Gothic room: When you leave the Giotto room you go into a room with some very important and beautiful paintings that are in a different style. This podcast explains what the International Gothic style means and how it is a pre-cursor to the Renaissance.

Uffizi with children

If you are visiting a major museum with young kids, follow the tips in my post on how to take children to the museum. This is designed for kids of all ages, even toddlers. It IS possible to do this even if you’re not an expert and they’re very little!

Uffizi card

Remember, if you’re planing on visiting more than three or four museums while you’re in Florence, there are two discount museum cards available. One for tourists that lasts three days, and another – just for state museums – that is best for longer stays.