Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery contains masterpieces ranging from the late Middle Ages and the dawn of the Renaissance (such as Giotto’s Madonna Enthroned), to the Mannerist painters, going through Renaissance masterworks such as Botticelli’s Primavera, Leonardo da Vinci’s Annunciation and Michelangelo’s Holy Family.
Palatine Gallery
Contained within the complex of Palazzo Pitti, the Palatine Gallery is a unique gallery, in that it does not follow any conventional ‘museum’ organization of its paintings. Instead, the collection has been left intact as it was assembled by the grand-dukes themselves, following their own personal taste (visible even in the lavish picture frames). The paintings range from the 16th to the 18th century, including several works by Titian, Raphael and Rubens.
Bargello Museum
The most comprehensive Renaissance sculpture museum in Italy, the Bargello collection includes masterpieces such as Donatello’s David (the first nude figure since classical times), Michelangelo’s Bacchus and Giambologna’s Mercury, together with dozens of other magnificent sculptures encompassing every manner, from the minimalist to the flamboyant.
Accademia Gallery
Housed in what used to be Europe’s first Art Institute, the Accademia is most famous for being the home of Michelangelo’s David. This masterpiece of the sculptor’s youth has become the very symbol of the Renaissance. Notable, and also by Michelangelo, are the ‘Slaves’, a series of larger-than-life, unfinished sculptures conceived as part of an elaborate project that was never completed.
Opera del Duomo Museum
A wonderful complement to a visit of the Bargello or Accademia museums, the Opera del Duomo houses the most precious and fragile works from the Cathedral complex. It is a collection of Gothic and Renaissance masterpieces, including Donatello’s Mary Magdalene and Michelangelo’s Pietà, his latest work.
