Art is created and displayed all over the world. It is studied in school and celebrated by many. However, it seems like some of the world’s greatest masters come from the Italian Renaissance era. Masters like Leonardo Da Vinci and Micheal Angelo. People study these works, and almost every person on Earth can recognize the styles that were created on sight. Seeing these pieces in person are on people’s bucket list. So when one is in Italy, how can one see many master pieces that rose from this great Italian period? Well, I may have found paradise. A paradise that contains pieces from the Medici Archives, artwork from the greatest religious churches, and pieces created by the greatest artist of their era. Where is this paradise? Let me introduce you to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

Uffizi Gallery is a giant art gallery! The gallery has sculptures, paintings, statues, and interior design that celebrate Italian art. The pieces range from the time before the Romans to the height of the Italian Renaissance. You could easily spend have a day wandering the halls and not have uncovered all the artwork in every corner. It is like the Italian version of the Louvre. But if you aren’t a crazy art fanatic like me then you might be questioning why you should care about this gallery.

You should care because each room is a celebration of Italy. The artwork featured gives a glimpse into the culture that existed during those eras. You can see the lives of those that are no longer with us, how they represented important religious figure, the stories they told, and how they saw their future. You could not receive a better lesson about Italy than you receive while touring. But if i still haven’t convinced you to spend your time analyzing the art on display. I suggest at least doing the highlights or my favorites.

First of all I would gander at the impressive amount of religious artwork, more specifically depictions from the Bible. Each artwork is done in an almost opulent and grandiose style. Gold is a popular way to highlight the light reflecting off the paintings. Each glitter and catch your eye until you end up spinning around each room trying to study every minute detail.

If religious artwork is not your speed, how about some pieces of mythological artwork. These pieces tell a story from Greek or Roman mythology. These were popular stories to study and tell in Italy for a long time. Many artist portrayed these stories to show their interpretations of the story and the lesson one should learn from them. (Remember most common class could not read or write.) 

Many artist of the time period copied other popular works of art to show their skill to clients. So don’t be surprise if it seems like you see multiples of some pieces. I lost count of how many Madonna and Child there were after I finished the first floor.

Ok, now this is my favorite part of the museum. They had an entire room dedicated to Leonardo Da Vinci. He is one of my favorite artist and they had an entire room dedicated to his beautiful paintings. However, Leonardo wasn’t the only artist that had a room dedicated to his amazing artwork. Micheal Angelo’s room had some of his greatest sculptures and a one of a kind painting that he did. 

Art is more than something just pretty to look at. It helps tell the stories of who we are. The Uffizi Gallery does an excellent job telling the story of Italy during this period of great art. So if you ever in the city of Florence, plan a day at the Uffizi Gallery to see, and immerse yourself in Italian culture.