Culture
& Entertainment
Museums & Galleries
Uffizi Gallery
 The
most important museum in Florence is without doubt the Uffizi Gallery,
which contains the world's highest percentage of art works. The Gallery
is located in the impressive Uffizi Palace built in the mid-sixteenth
century by Giorgio Vasari and finished after his death by the architects
Parigi and Buontalenti. The Uffizi, in a horseshoe shape, extends
from the Piazza della Signoria to the Arno river and is connected
to the Palazzo Vecchio by a footbridge. The building was designed
to contain the "Offices" (Uffici) of justice: hence the
name.
The Gallery today contains masterpieces of Italian and international
artists of the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries, including Cimabue,
Giotto, Masaccio, Beato Angelico, Leonardo, Botticelli, Michelangelo,
Piero della Francesca, Raphael, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt, Durer,
Goya and many others. The Vasari Wing,
leading from the Uffizi to the Pitti Palace,
holds a famous collection of self-portraits, which is the only one
of its kind in the world.
Tel. 055 23885
Piazza della Signoria, open 9 a.m.-7 p.m., closed Mondays.
www.uffizi.firenze.it/welcomeE.html
Galleria dell' Accademia
 This
is one of the most well-known museums in Florence because it contains
famous sculptures by Michelangelo, including
the world-famous David.
Here also are many of the paintings gathered by Grand Duke Pietro
Leopoldo to aid young artists in their studies at the Arts Academy,
which is still located beside the Gallery.
Via Ricasoli 60
Open 9:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m., closed Mondays.
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National Bargello Museum
 The
National Museum is housed in one of the oldest public palaces of Florence.
Its construction dates to 1255. Erected as the office for the Captain
of the People, it was later seat of the Podesta (Mayor) and then of
the Captain of Justice or Bargello, from which its name is derived.
For the entire eighteenth century it was used as a prison
and capital punishments took place there. After impressive restorations
it became the National Museum in 1865. It houses a superb collection
of sculptures from the Florentine Renaissance,
with works by Michelangelo, Donatello, Giambologna and Cellini, as
well as a collection of Mannerist bronzes.
Via Proconsolo, 4
Open 9:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.
Opera del Duomo
 Situated
in the piazza Duomo, the museum was founded in 1891, containing an
extraordinary collection of Italian sculptures. It also contains superb
original works taken from the Duomo, the Baptistery and the bell tower
in order to save them from the damaging effects of pollution.
Amongst many other masterpieces is the Pieta'
by Michelangelo,
one of his last works, destined for his own tomb in Rome. Nicodemus
(the character supporting Christ from the rear) is probably a self-
portrait, and the Mary Magdalen (female on the right) is the work
of an apprentice.
Tel: 055 230 2885
Opening hours: from April to October - 9:00 am to 6:45 pm, Monday
to Saturday. From November to March - 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
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Festivals & Events
 Throughout
the year a series of exhibitions to satisfy the most varied interests
takes place in Florence. Above all, in the city where modern melodrama
was born, are musical events ranging from Florence's "May
of Music" (Maggio Musicale) to its summer and winter lyric
seasons. The Florentine center of "la Moda Italiana" organizes
many commercial exhibitions throughout the year. There are international
shows for ancient as well as contemporary art. Characteristic traditional
exhibitions include the Soccer Games
in Costume and the Festival of San Giovanni.
Art & Handicraft
Florence is famous for high-class handicrafts and elegant creations.
From straw, a typical Florentine product
used for pretty and original clothes and decorative objects, to leatherwork,
renowned for its refinement and skilled workmanship. From ceramics
to glass, from woodwork to metalwork, a large number of desirable
objects offer the opportunity to make purchases adapted to all tastes,
ages and interests. Florence's handicrafts and fashionable apparel
are of exceptional grace and originality. Notable are its linens and
precious embroideries.
Especially appreciated, in the town where Benvenuto Cellini was born,
are silver and gold products, filigrees and typical stone mosaics.
Particularly sought out are objects from large and small antique shops,
for which Florence is a major trading center.
Nightlife
Besides being rich in art and history, Florence offers numerous opportunities
for entertainment, with many clubs and discotheques where one can
dance to any type of music, or listen to groups playing live late
into the night. |
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