Advice about the Uffizi
 

How highly do you rate an afternoon spent at the Uffizi?

We are a family of 5 (children 17, 12 and 10). We will be in Florence for a short time in December. I am the only member of the family who has been to Florence and that was ages ago when I was a teenager.

We will be covering the following while in Florence:
a walking tour of the city that will include sights such as the Piazza Signoria, the Duomo, the Baptistry (just the outside), and the Basilica of the Holy Cross. We are also going to the Academy of Fine Arts to see David.

We will have a free afternoon and I was thinking of making a booking so we can go to the Uffizi.

Is this what you would do if this was the only free time you had in Florence, or would you suggest something else?

Given that you have kids, I would ask them what they want to do before planning for any art gallery. Your 17 year old might be interested, but I don't know about the other two given their ages.

One alternative would be to take public bus no. 7 to the end of the bus line. Someone else can provide the name of the town where it ends up as I don't have it at my finger tips. You take it to the end of the line. At the end of the line there is the most beautiful view of Florence you will ever see assuming you have a nice day. Also there are a couple of nice restaurants and a Roman amphitheatre.

You could make the Uffizi reservation just to be safe and then decide whether to go or not after you get there. If the 17 year old wants to go alone, he/she can do that while you go elsewhere. Florence is very small and it is hard to get lost there.

I love the Uffizi, and I know I would have loved it at 17, 12, or 10 years old. The Botticelli's at the Uffizi are a knock-out. There are some interesting Roman busts and portraits of European monarchs lining the hallways, if anyone has a particular interest in history. The view from the rooftop cafe is breathtaking.

But all kids are different, and you know you know your children's interests and tolerances best.

Another good alternative might be the Bargello. It's an old fortress prison that houses a collection of sculpture and arts and crafts (medieval and renaissance jewlery, combs, miniatures, religious icons, glassware, household items, family portraits, etc.) There are also some medieval swords and armour from Persia I think. The building itself is very interesting- very fortressy and imposing, like a small castle- with an interior courtyard and outdoor animal sculpture.

Here's a link to the Bargello's website:

http://tinyurl.com/2old3g

The name of the town that Lauren references is Fiesole.

I think your children would enjoy climbing the dome at the cathedral. You could read "Brunelleschi's Dome" by Ross King as a family before your trip. It might be a bit advanced for the younger kids but they will get an appreciation of how it was built and then see it from the inside.

I can't imagine visiting Florence and NOT going to the Uffizi.

I like the recommendation to reserve the Uffizi, then wait and see. It may be asking a lot of your kids to spend all their time in churches and museums. I know that I love churches and museums, especially in Florence, but does every child? And do they all have endless stamina?

A long lunch or, if the weather is nice, a trip up to Fiesole, might keep them happy.

We loved the Uffizi but I think your younger kids could be bored witless!!
The Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens are great and they could go for a run!

"Florence is very small and it is hard to get lost there."
I laughed loudly when I saw this Lauren...we managed to get lost in every city we visited during 6 weeks in Europe last year! We caught the bus back to our B and B but ended up going out into the suburbs on the other side of Florence...got a bit worried when the driver stopped the engine! After much gesturing and pointing at maps it turned out he was doing the return loop a while later so we made it home ... having seen suburban Florence ...and it has given us many a laugh since!
Good luck with the kids ...sometimes unforeseen opportunities have the best outcome so take it as it comes.
Rosie ((R))

Yes, it was Fiesole. I knew someone would help me out. If you get on bus no. 7 at the train station, you can only go to Fiesole. The line goes from the train station to Fiesole. You could also take a cab, but the kids might enjoy the bus more.

I agree about climbing the dome as well. The younger kids might enjoy that more than staring at art.

You can have your hotel make the Uffizi reservation for you. Yes, you will have to pay for it even if you don't go, but you will preserve the options. If you and your son want to go, you can go and maybe your husband (if he is not as interested in art) could do something else with the younger kids.

I did travel to Europe with my kids when they were young (now 29 and 27 and out of the house!) and I did keep those art experiences brief and focused on a few selected paintings. If you do that, you can visit the Uffizi successfully with them. If you stay too long the whining will commence.

Great suggestions everyone.

It is very possible that my kids may be sick of art galleries by the time we get to Florence so I like the idea of making the reservations for the Uffizi and then playing it by ear (they may be avid art enthusiasts by then, but somehow I doubt it!).

Taking bus #7 to Fiesole sounds like lots of fun and the Bargello looks super.

I will definitely get a copy of Brunelleschi's Dome and we can read it before we go, as climbing the dome sounds like fun too.

The Pitti palace and Boboli Gardens are also great suggestions.

This way, depending on the weather and everyone's moods, we have lots of alternatives now. Thank you all so much.

HI Ozz,

I would budget 2 hrs for the Uffizi.

The younger kids might not appreciate it now, but they will remember it all of their lives.

((I))

I agree with Ira. I think traveling to Europe ought to be a learning experience for kids as well as fun. Two hours won't cause them to expire, and your kids should become familiar with some of the western world's greatest artists and works of art. You can focus on just a handful of artists and pieces.

But don't just stop and stare; give your kids some information. Buy a small guidebook and read a few paragraphs out loud, or download a (free) Rick Steves audio tour of the Uffizi to any MP3 player:

http://www.ricksteves.com/news/trave..._downloads.htm

Thanks Ira and Jean. This is really how I feel too. I remember the Uffizi from when I was 14 years old and I really do want my kids to expand their knowledge on our holiday, as well as having fun. It's good to know that 2 hours would be sufficient (I could stay there all day, but I'll compromise!) and getting a small guidebook and downloading the Rick Steves audio tour are excellent ideas. Will do.

This way we can do the Uffizi first in the afternoon and then move on to some of the other activities and sights that the other posters have suggested.

Considering that the Uffizi is one of the great museums of the world, I would not miss it. There are some great books out now about artists that are written just for kids, and some good DVD's. Get some about the artists whose work they will see in the Uffizi. If you prep them first, most kids enjoy museums more than people think they will.

Hi Sassafrass - great idea to get the children some books and DVDs about the art works in the Uffizi before we go. Will do. I adore art and was telling the children today about some of the paintings in the Uffizi, why they were painted and what the symbolism in them means, and they were very interested.

I have downloaded the Rick Steves podcast that Jean suggested, so we can listen to that too before we go, as well as when we are there.

My soul cringes at the thought of going to Florence and skipping the Uffizi, so it's good to know that others share this view.