Uffizi or not
 

While we're not really museum goers, we have gone to and enjoyed some of the major museums.

We particularly enjoyed the Prado. Possibly because of it's manageable size and partly because we saw several paintings by each of the artists and enjoyed recognizing their work and respective styles.

We've been to Florence twice before. Years ago. Visited the Accademia once way back and the Uffizi twice.

I keep thinking I should have spent more time on those unfinished works in addition to David and look forward to another visit this summer.

But, as the title implies, the issue if the Uffizi. Having been there twice before and not remembering anything we saw, I'm windering if I should pass on the Uffizi and possibly put in one or two others in it's place.

The Bargello?

Visit a few Medici villas? Petraia and/or Poggio a Ciaino?

Thanks for comments.

If you've been to the Uffizi twice and don't remember anything about it, the message is clear. Don't waste your time there again.

Don't know what else you've seen, but here are a few lighter/quicker possibilities that you might enjoy:

Bargello, as you mentioned
Museum of the Work of the Duomo
The Baptistery of the Duomo
Santa Croce Church
Museum of San Marco
Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, particularly the Gozzoli Chapel

Myer:
There is a small but meaningful and interesting museum at the
beautiful Moorish-domed <i>sinagoga</i> (Templo Israelitico). Easy walk from the Duomo (it shows on all city maps). Don't be put off by the security booth and the armed guards...a reality and necessity in the Europe of today. Enjoy your trip.

stu tower

ellen,

Thanks for the reply. I'm waffeling.

As I wrote, we've been to Florence twice before. The first time must be "many years" ago and the second just "years" ago.

On the first visit we went to the Pitti Palace. What I remember most was an artist (or student) attempting to copy the work of a slightly more famous artist.

On that trip I climbed the Duomo (I'm still waiting for the t-shirt commemorating that feat). I'm tempted to do it again if the body will do it. The view was amazing. But then again the view from Piazza Michaelangelo was as well. Went twice on each visit.

We visited the Accademia and I'm looking forward to another visit. I remember David and wish I had spent more time on those unfinished works.

The Uffizi. Is it age or did it just not have much of an impression on me?

I keep remembering going into Palazzo Vecchio but not much else.

I remember the Bapitstry Doors.

Santa Croce. I remember the distinct look of the church as well as SMN.

As I also mentioned. We're not avid museum goes. Wandering the streets, seeing the sights. Visiting home museums if there are any and the villas I've listed above are quite interesting. We enjoyed the Frick more than the Met. The d'Orsay more than the Louvre (except for the Mona Lisa and venice de Milo).

tower,

You bring up a good point.

I remember visiting the Synagogue in Rome. I walked in with my day backpack and sat down in the chapel waiting for our tour guide. It was written all over that backpacks are not permitted yet nobody said anything to me.

I asked the tour guide about it and she said the fellow at the entrance knows who to check. Hmmmm.

It's on my list.

If you enjoy house museums, consider the Palazzo Davanzati:
http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/en...sei/davanzati/

Or the quirky Museo Stibbert:
http://www.museostibbert.it/english/engid.html
(The Italian version has more photos; look at Collezioni.)

we loved the Uffizi. the primavera and birth of venus is AMAZING !!!
but if i had to choose between uffizi and david, DAVID WINS !!!

I highly recommend both the Bargello and the Museum San Marco

I think if you've already seen the Primavera and Birth of Venus and don't remember them, don't bother going back to the Uffizi.

I recommend the Bargello, the Duomo Museum and the Brancacci Chapel for more manageable and more memorable experiences for you. The Brancacci Chapel is just breathtaking. I'd be surprised if you don't remember that after!

I loved the Prado - visited twice during the three days I spent in Madrid.

I visited the Uffizi and couldn't care less if I never went back.

They're both art museums but they have very different art collections. Goya, Vasquez, El Greco, Hieronymus Bosch are some of my favorite artists so of course I loved the Prado.

But I'm not that interested in art from the Renaissance (except for Michelangelo - his David is the most spectacular work of art that I've ever seen) so I didn't really care about the Uffizi.

Maybe it's the same for you. Just because you enjoyed the Prado doesn't mean that you'll enjoy the Uffizi, especially if it didn't make an impression on you before.

The Uffizi is a difficult museum to visit—incredibly crowded, ill labeled, ill lit, and ill hung. If you're not interested in Madonnas, those first first rooms could make you lose interest in the rest pretty quickly. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and I usually recommend that people NOT visit the Uffizi unless they are particularly interested in Renaissance art for all these reasons.

For most people, I think it can be more rewarding to visit a few churches in Florence and see the impressive art in the original locations rather than on a museum wall. So I visit Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella, Santa Maria del Carmine's Brancacci Chapel, all of which now have entrance fees. But I also love to step into the "free" churches to see what I might find. I love a quick visit to the Pontormo Chapel at Santa Felicita or the frescoes at Santissima Annuziata or Santo Spirito.

I love the Baptistery, not just the exterior. It makes a quick visit and you can sit and stare at the lovely mosaics above—I'm a fan of mosaics. There's a brochure that explains all the parts for those who are unsure. I've enjoyed Zerlina's recommendations as well.

If you've been to the Uffizi twie and don;t remember Venus on the Half Shell - it is definitely not your type of place and you should check out other options (palaces or churches or something else).

We visit Florence each time we are in Italy - we'll be there for the 8th time in September. We've probably been to the Uffizi 5 times and last time we were there, we decided not to go back. It's not that it doesn't leave an impression but that it is a bit overwhelming unless you can't get your fill of Renaissance art. We love the Bargello, Santa Croce and the Museum of the Works of the Duomo - and of course, the Duomo itself. A fascinating but out of the way place to go is the Church of Sta. Maria del Carmine with the Masaccio frescos in the Brancacci Chapel. Make sure you see everything you want to see for the first time and return to the things you loved last time before you see the Uffizi again. Florence, to me, is like Paris in that you can stay for ages and not see everything so you have to keep going back. Enjoy!

Well, I guess I'll speak to my wife and get her feelings on the topic. But as far as I'm concerned the Uffizi is out and a few of those mentioned above are leading contenders.

the Bargello
San Marco
Palazzo Davanzati
the Synagogue

look particularly interesting.

This is great. Thanks.

If you are interested in Galileo, you might like the science museum if their restoration is complete when you visit.
http://www.imss.fi.it/

I agree with ellenem, the Uffizi is just not a well-presented museum. It would be a blessing if they got a new director who shook the place up and made it more approachable for the public. I gave up on it long ago. I like the Bargello and the Museum of the Works of the Duomo better.

Myer, you said above:

<i>I asked the tour guide about it and she said the fellow at the entrance knows who to check. Hmmmm.</i>

The guards at many <i>sinagogas</i> in Europe and elsewhere, are usually Israelis, highly trained to do proper profiling. "Knowing who to check"..that says it all. I have had some very illuminating conversations with several of them while visiting synagogues world-wide. Just write it you'd like my extensive list.

stu [email protected]

If the Uffizi left you cold and you're not keen on Renaissance art, I don't think you'd like Museo di San Marco. It is almost 100% the work of a single early Renaissance artist (a monk) and all religious.

tower (stu),

Some years back we were in London and decided to go to Kensington Palace (Diana lived here) to see a display.

After getting off the bus we had a bit of a distance to walk thru a paved road in the park.

We came to a "soft" guardhouse and there was a sign indicating no photography. I asked the guard why and he pointed across the street at the Israeli embassy.

This thread is a reminder to me about the falsity of the notion of "must sees" in a general sense.

I agree with Zerlina that if you don't like Renaissance art, you may not like the Museum San Marco. It contains beautiful work by Fra Angelico in a beautiful setting but if you don't care for his work, it is not the place to go.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marco,_Florence

As I do more reading San Marco is slipping off the list.

Well, thanks for all of the comments.

Uffizi is out and Bargello is in though we may not may advance reservations and go for it when we're in the area.

I don't particularly like religious Renaissance art, but I really enjoyed San Marco. That museum is also about the monastic setting, and seeing Fra Angelico's colorful works in situ.
http://www.museumsinflorence.com/mus...san_marco.html

The Bargello and the Duomo Museum were both fantastic. The Donatello David, Michelangelo Bacchus, Giambologna Mercury, and Ghiberti and Brunellesci Babtistry door competition panels are among the highly memorable pieces in the Bargello collection.

The Duomo Museum has many fantastic pieces including Donatello's Mary Magdaline and St. John, as well as his Cantoria, which is countered on the opposite wall by the very different one by Lucca della Robbia. Then there is the aging Michelangelo's Pieta, not to mention Ghiberti's original door panels, all worth the price of admission.

Then don't forget the many small churches that you can pop into for free and spend a few minutes. Here's one you will almost certainly be a few steps away from during your visit, but might not even notice it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Felicita,_Florence
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiesa_..._%28Firenze%29

But I understand why the Uffizi left you feeling lukewarm, so you should probably skip it this time.

Whatever you decide I highly recommend seeing if you can get your hands on one of the art history lecture series by Bill Kloss. Our library has some, and they are often on Ebay at 70-80% off list price. Plus they are on 70% sale at the Teaching Company itself from time to time.
http://www.teach12.com/storex/professor.aspx?id=296

My wife and I watched his History of European Art and Artists of the Italian Renaissance lectures before our trip and it had a huge impact on our understanding and appreciation of what we were seeing.

Finally, we bring small travel binoculars into museums. Even though we were only 20-30 feet away from, say, Botticelli's Birth of Venus, it's a whole different world looking through the binos.

Well, you can't really go wrong with these decisions, so have fun whatever you decide.

I don't think anyone could forget the Gozzoli wall paintings at the Riccardi Medici museum. It's lovely and small, central, uncrowded when I was there, and the pictures are stunning.

Brunelleschi's Dome and The Stones of Florence are both good background reading for your trip

For another house museum you might consider the Casa Buonarroti--on my "to see" list for Florence
http://www.casabuonarroti.it/english/e-home.htm

I found , in Florence, I suffered from a real case of Stendhal Syndrome. My eyes could just not take in anymore. If you decide to go , go early on in your trip before you become a victim!

Myer - i have no idea how those travellers who spend the apparently statutory 3 days in each of Venice, Florence and Rome remember what they saw where. I do much better if I restrict my art-viewing to one or two museums per visit. for example, on our recent week-long visit to Rome, the only gallery we went to was the Doria Pamphilli. we had a lovely time - there were no queues, [mainly because there were very few people there] we could get up close to everything we wanted to see, we could go back and look at it again, and again, we could sit down any time we wanted to, it was a joy. AND I can remember what i saw and why I liked it! I enjoyed it much more than the Vatican or the uffizi.

I also love popping into any church i might be passing to see what they've got.

do what YOU want to do - and don't try to do too much, is my advice.

Some of us have spent considerably more than the three statutory days in Florence. Venice and Rome, and some of us have an interest in art and art history.

I don't recall any of us saying that such an interest is obligatory. But from what we recall, we make suggestions that may (or may not) suit the OP. Is that reprehensible?

Zerlina, I don't read annhig's remarks as describing the people commenting in in this thread. I think she is referring to the "classic" 3-3-3 split recommended frequently for a "first time" visit to Italy.

It's really interesting to read other people's take on things. I've explained that we're not really museum goers. We were just discussing this and we both agree that if we ever got back to Madrid, the Prado was our favorite.

We have our style but we still try to fit in a few museums when warranted.

This trip is being designed very differently from any other trip we've taken. We will be based in one place a probably visit more places than on any previous trip. Possibly because there will be no packing and unpacking required.

We don't consider house museums (ala Frick in NY which is one of our favorites) to be museums. Essentially we look upon those as a look at how they lived (although this isn't always the case).

On this 10 day trip, my guess is that we'll visit no more than 3 formal museums.

Of course, I have some not so visited places penciled in such as Villa Petraia and Poggio a Caiano.

I'm looking forward to writing my trip report and haven't even gone on the trip yet.

Great info and a big help so far. Thanks.

primeranoche - exactly.

I was in no way casting aspersions upon other posters here, just making a generalised comment about the way in which one can become overloaded with "art", which doubtless reflects more on me than on those like Zerlina, who almost certainly have more knowledge of art than I do.

it's iroinc, really, people who spend no time looking at art in their normal lives, [and this includes me] go to Italy, France or spain, and spend many hours in places like the Uffizi and the Prada, peering at pictures they don't understand and won't remember, often in conditions of some discomfort.

whereas, as this thread reminds us, there are many smaller, more accessible galleries and museums where a few happy hours may be spent by us philistines actually enjoying what we are seeing.

which would leave the uffizi etc, free for those like Zerlina who can actually appreciate it.

A vote for the Baptistry doors. The ones on display at the Baptistry are replicas, but they are some of the crowning achievements of the Renaissance. The Met showed a few of the panels a few years ago. I think they are underrated. Ghiberti's work is truly amazing (he took 10 years).

Bargello is very enjoyable also. You can see the panels on the sacrifice of Isaac submitted by Ghiberti and Brunelleschi to compete for the commission there.

For Michelangelo, there are the "Day" and "Night" (and something else maybe?) sculptures at the Medici Chapel.

21 years to do the doors, apparently:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Baptistery

Also there's an "e" in Baptistery -- I guess that's the default spelling. I'm a little surprised by it. Webster claims the spelling without the "e" as a variant.

From Wikipedia:

Michelangelo referred to these doors as fit to be the "Gates of Paradise" (It. Porte del Paradiso), and they are still invariably referred to by this name. Giorgio Vasari described them a century later as "undeniably perfect in every way and must rank as the finest masterpiece ever created". Ghiberti himself said they were "the most singular work that I have ever made".

Sorry, it was actually 21 years to do one set, then 27 years to the Gates of Paradise. I guess that's what happens when you skim....

This topic raises a basic question, "Why do people visit a museum?"

I would imagine at the top of what is a very long list, and in no particular order:

To see in person what I have long seen in books and elsewhere.
To see what I like.
To learn about what I do not know about.

When we visit a museum we ask,
"Which one piece would you take home?'
"What artist that you knew do you have a greater or lesser appreciation for?"
"Which piece or artist that you have seen before do you now appreciate?"

Aduchamp1,

I guess first on my list would be, do I enjoy going.

I may know nothing about it, but if I'm not going to enjoy it I won't learn anything.

The reason we enjoyed the Prado so much was because it was not only manageable but we picked out three or four artists who each had at least a few paintings in the museum and by the end of the visit we could recognize the work of each.

And Las Meninas is amazing.

The reason we enjoyed the Frick so much was that we could see how each room was designed/built to hold parts of his art collection. It the the house as much as the art.

Sometimes you do something because you think you should. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.

The Prado is one of the world's great museums.

We were fortunate last year to show MoMA to teen-aged daughters of a friend. When we explained some of the history of a work or the artist or highlighted a detail, they became enthralled. It was like they were now part of a secret.

Aduchamp1,

We went to MoMa in 2008 and were glad it was raining outside. It did nothing for us.

I guess different things for different people.

You mentioned the view from Piazzale Michelangelo. If you have never gone to San Miniato al Monte, just above it, I highly recommend seeing that jewel of a church.

The view from Fiesole is also spectacular.