The Uffizi is one of the most famous art galleries in the world. Here presents a vast panorama of various schools of painting. This Florentine school, and Venice, and other Italian schools, as well as a rich collection of Flemish paintings from well-known series of self portraits. In addition to painting in the gallery there are rooms dedicated to antique sculpture and rooms with tapestries.

The building of the Uffizi gallery was built by the architect Giorgio Vasari, commissioned by the Medici family and was originally intended for administrative purposes. Started the construction was in 1560 and ended 20 years later.

The building consists of two buildings with loggias on the ground floor. In the depth of both buildings are connected by a third building with a huge arcade, overlooking the embankment of the river Arno. At the bottom, on both sides of the Central courtyard into a powerful pylons formed niches, in which are placed statues of the nineteenth century, depicting famous figures of Tuscany. The second floor is cut through huge Windows, and the third is a vast loggia. In addition to the gallery, which occupies the third floor, the building houses the State archives, where rare documents on the history of the city, and the Cabinet of drawings and prints, where a unique collection, which was launched in the XVII century on the initiative of cardinal Leopold de Medici.

Since 1737, the Museum became the property of the people, after Anna Maria Luisa - the last representative of the Medici family - gave it as a gift to the city.

The Museum collection is housed on the top floor of the building. Greek and Roman sculptures are exhibited in the spacious corridors. Paintings are hung in chronological order, which allows to trace the development of Florentine art from the Byzantine period to the High Renaissance and later.