Uffizi Gallery or Accademia?
 

Hi to all:

We only have one day in Florence. I just read that I should either do Uffizi or Accademia. Solid advice or can you do both? If true, which one?

Thanks..

Definitely can do both. If you must choose though, don't miss seeing David. No matter how many photo's one sees, nothing compares. It'll take your breath away.

Do you know anything (or care) about Renaissance art? If the answer is no, then just visit the Accademia, which is quicker and you'll see the memorable David.

The Uffizi is full of Renaissance art, heavy on the Madonnas, with few didactic panels, ill lit, ill hung--very difficult for the art novice. And it can be very crowded and take a lot of time. However, if you are an art fan, or just HAVE to see the Botticellis, then go.

You can easily do both if you have your tickets reserved in advance. Allow an hour for Accademia and 2 hours for the Uffizi, The Uffizi is a Renaissance dream and is easily managed by art movices (like me) by using Rick Steves podcast - you can download it to your iPod or MP3 player and don't have to rent the audio at the museum. Here is the link - http://www.ricksteves.com/news/trave..._downloads.htm

You can easily do both if you have your tickets reserved in advance. Allow an hour for Accademia and 2 hours for the Uffizi. The Uffizi is a Renaissance dream and is easily managed by art movices (like me) by using Rick Steves' podcast - you can download it to your iPod or MP3 player and don't have to rent the audio at the museum. Here is the link - http://www.ricksteves.com/news/trave..._downloads.htm

The Botticellis were top on my list and it's just so amazing so sit there and take it in. Even though we had an appointed time, we still had to wait for over an hour for the line - so start early as possible!

Definitely see David. But, if you only have one day, you should not spend all your time in museums at the expense of seeing the rest of Florence.

For the best view of Florence, go to the Kaffee Haus in the Boboli Gardens.

You should see the Duomo and the Baptistry.

Definitely go to the Brancacci Chapel to see the Masaccio and Masolino frescoes. It won't take that much time.

Wander around the Santo Spirito neighborhood.

Have a coffee and some gelato at Cafe Gilli in Piazza Repubblica.

Thin

It is good that you thought about advices test their validity in your case. Each traveler goes with certain interests, circumstances, budgets, stamina, goals, etc. Except for physical impossibilities, such as visiting two places where the fastest travel time is more than the time available to you, each visitor places certain restrictions that may have nothing to do with your case.

Given the closeness between the two museums and the elimination of most waiting time afforded by reservations, it is not physically impossible to visit both in one day.

Whether your other circumstances limit visiting both museums in one day cannot be answered except by you.

It is your trip. Keep asking the reasons behind recommendations to find what are possible for you.

Definitely follow the advice to get advance tickets, or else you will waste your whole day in line! With reservations, both are certainly doable in one day. Was smart enough to do that for the Uffizi, but neglected to get tix for l'Accademia. Was in line for 2 hours to see David! (Worth every minute....but the long line could have been avoided.)

Enjoy Florence! It is one of my favorite places!

Besides the excellent advice you've already received, I'd like to also recommend the Santa Croce church, which has the tombs with their effigies or busts of some of the most famous Italians including Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Rossini, and even Enrico Fermi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilic...oce_di_Firenze. There is a lovely cloister there and a "Last Supper" fresco, too.

Another favorite is the San Marco Museum, not far from the Accademia, where the monks' cells were painted in the most delicate frescoes by Fra Angelico. Also, in this building are two "Last Supper" frescoes, a beautiful cloister, and very fine bathrooms: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marco_di_Firenze.

Actually you can do neither. (I can't believe I'm writing this.) There's a copy of the David in the Piazza Signoria, the central square in Florence, right next to the Uffizi.

Do go to the Duomo and see the doors of the Baptistry (also a copy).

But the answer to your original question depends on what you're interested in and what else you're doing in Italy.

I really don't think there's any comparison at all between the David in the Piazza della Signoria and the original in the Accademia. There is something sublime about the marble original and the way David is presented in the Accademia that you just don't get from the pigeon covered copy. For me it was a breathtaking experience, both times I saw him.

I also don't think you can go to Florence and not see David, or if you did you would be seriously missing out on one of the most beautiful things created by man. Just MHO, of course.

Unless you are really into Renaissance art I think you are fine just going to the Accademia. Florence is a wonderful city for walking around out of doors.

As long as you get advance reservations both in one day works out fine.

If I had to pick one, it would be the Uffizi because there is so much there. The Accademia is pretty much David.

Having gone to both a number of times on the same day, there is no reason why, with reservations, you could not EASILY visit both (1/2 hour for David and the Prisoners and 2 1/2 hours for Ufizzi - I go armed with Rick Steves) in less than half a day, and then do see Santa Croce Church or Duomo Museum or Barghello or Medici Chapels the rest of the day.

It sounds "whirlwindy", but if I only have one day in Florence, then there is no way that I would miss, if at all possible, any of David, the Ufizzi, or the Medici Chapels. All 3 can be seen easily, with some time for Santa Croce.

Florence is relatively small and the sights are not too far from one another.

Birth of Venus/Primavera or David.

It's like picking between your kids ...

If I had to pick, I would pick David.

"Words cannot contain him, yet in him, all words are."

For me, it would depend on the time of year. If high season/summer, I'd skip the crowded Uffizi (and, like Mimar, I can't believe I just said that), make a quick visit to see David and then see the Duomo, Baptistry (inside and outside) and whatever else that appeals to you that you can squeeze into your day. Florence is small, but the list of treasures is very long. Have a good map and plan a logical itinerary for the day.

You can't possibly compare the David in Piazza Signoria to the David in the Accademia. They aren't even the same size! They aren't even the same color!

There is also a beautiful David in the Bargelo by Donatello, but that is another day in Firenze.

Farmacia Santa Maria Novella on Via Scala for some great potpourri for you to bring home with you.

Thin

Oh just face it - you can't do everything in one day! lol I didn't get to David last time - and now I have something to bring me back to Florence.

Charlottejoe - with only one day in Florence you are surely torn between many things. Museums, galleries, shopping, and just soaking up the rich culture and feeling of Florence could take an afternoon (or a month, or a lifetime).
Without knowing where you are coming from or going to, with only a day in Florence (and for me having only spent 5 days there on a previous trip), it is hard to guide you. Seeing the statue of David (and we waited in line outside in the sun without the foresight to reserve tickets!) was one of the highlights of Italy for us. It was simple, and utterly breathtaking.
The duomo, baptistry, and Uffizi are all well deserving, and given a full, well planned day you can "see" them all.
There are links - here are two to try(http://www.uffizi.com/online-ticket-...zi-gallery.asp, and http://www.tickitaly.com/galleries/accademia.php) that can direct you to reserving tickets for both museums.
So if you start early you can certainly do both- enjoy!
For me, going to Florence and not seeing David would be like going to a fountain thirsty and not taking a drink...

We waited until about 5pm to go to Accademia and only waited in a queue for about 10 minutes. Earlier in the day the queues are really long and you will waste too much time. So, as other posters have said, get pre booked tickets, or go later in the day. David is divine and should not be missed - you can skip the rest of the gallery if necessary, but you MUST see David.