Skip the Line Uffizi Gallery Tour

Uffizi Gallery Tour Description

Your 2-hour tour includes:

• Skip-the-line Uffizi Gallery tickets

• Guided tour of the masterpieces inside the Uffizi

• Fun, English-speaking guide with expertise in art history

• Maximum group size of 16

History of the Uffizi and Medici Family

As you stroll through the grand rooms, hallways and courtyard of the Uffizi, your guide will tell you the about the fascinating history of the gallery. The construction was ordered in 1560 by Cosimo I de’ Medici (known as Cosimo the Great and the first Grand Duke of Tuscany) to house the administrative and judiciary offices of Florence. At the time, the Medici family’s influence in Florence was extremely powerful, and without their patronage of the arts the Italian Renaissance may not have happened as it did.

Botticelli's The Birth of Venus 

One of the most featured artists your guide will tell you of at the museum is Sandro Botticelli, whose masterpieces Primavera and The Birth of Venus are housed here. You may well recognize his painting of The Birth of Venus, which shows the goddess being carried ashore in a giant seashell. Primavera, meanwhile, depicts the arrival of spring with dancing gods and muses in an enchanted garden. Whatever the extent of your art history knowledge, you can't help but admire these paintings’ vibrant compositions.

Caravaggio’s Medusa

A highlight for many art-lovers on this Uffizi tour is Caravaggio’s Medusa. A gripping study of the dark mythological figure with snakes in her hair, the painting is also an excellent example of Caravaggio’s revolutionary approach to the game between light and dark. As you look into Medusa's eyes, she appears to stare back at you. Legend has it that you’ll turn to stone if you hold her gaze for too long.

Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo (Holy Family)

Michelangelo’s Holy Family (or Doni Tondo) painting dates back to the same period as his David statue, and is one of the few remaining examples of Michelangelo’s painting, together with the breathtaking frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. The Doni Tondo also laid the foundations of mannerism, also known as Late Renaissance. This style of European art featured bizarre, striking poses and iridescent colors, and your guide will help you to see its clear origins in this masterpiece.

And much, much more....

These highlights are just a few of the world-class works of art housed at the Uffizi. Let your expert guide lead you on a journey into art and history as they share the important stories behind each painting, as well as their context within Florentine and Italian culture.