In Florence, Italy, every charming, winding, cobblestone street breathes with the most romantic and revered art in history. So if you’re visiting, you’ve probably thought about visiting the most famous art galleries in Florence!
The Italian painters of the high Renaissance made the city of Florence itself a work of art. Commissioning an unbelievable number of famous paintings and sculptures, the powerful Medici family commissioned many of the world’s most famous art pieces during their reign in Florence in the 15th century.
Name any Renaissance artist- Michaelangelo, DaVinci, Botticelli, Raphael, Cellini, Donatello- and you’ll find them (and so many other masterful Renaissance artists) in Florence’s 2 best art galleries:
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Uffizi Gallery
Uffizi’s main focus is on paintings, then sculptures and other pieces of art. The building itself is a masterpiece by Vasari with sweeping, sunny views of the Arno River. While you’re visiting Florence, you could spend days inside the Uffuzi Gallery and still not discover all the artwork inside at depth.
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Accademia Galleria
Accademia’s main focus is on sculptures and it seems to be designed to glorify one art piece in particular- Michaelangelo’s David.
In my opinion, these are the 2 best and most unmissable art galleries in Florence. If you’re short on time and need to prioritize just a couple to visit, these will DELIVER on all your Renaissance art dreams and more!
Know before you go: Uffizi Gallery and Accademia Galleria
Because these galleries are the cream of the crop, they are also unbelievably crowded. There are many options for booking skip the line tickets and guided tours, and if you have the money I DEFINITELY recommend booking one of these.
Often with these galleries, you can’t just walk up and buy same day or next day tickets. And even if you do score them, you’ll potentially be waiting in line for hours (which is nasty if you’re waiting in the Florence sun- the ques are outside and unshaded!).
Best tour of Uffizi and Accademia Galleria in Florence
I took this 4 hour guided, small group tour through Get Your Guide and I can’t recommend it enough! You get priority access to the Accademia and the Uffizi, where you can skip the lines and use a private entrance, Marvel at the David, stroll through Duomo Square, see works by Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael and many others with a passionate, expert guide. This tour was thorough but still hit the highlights, and the English speaking guide was happy to answer all of my many questions!
If you’re visiting Florence soon, here’s a perfect 1 day itinerary to make your trip to Italy easier and 5 tips for spotting tourist trap restaurants in Italy so you can make sure you find the best, most authentic food!
If not, take this 60-second tour of some of the world’s most famous masterpieces in Florence’s 2 best art museums.
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