Uffizi Private Tour in Florence

Private Uffizi Gallery Tour Description

Your 2-hour private Uffizi tour includes:

• Skip-the-line Uffizi Gallery tickets

• Tailored private tour of the masterpieces and hidden gems inside the Uffizi

• See Botticelli's Primavera, Michelangelo's Holy Family, and more!

• Friendly, English-speaking private guide with expertise in art history

History of the Uffizi and Medici Family

As you stroll through the grand rooms, hallways and courtyard of the Uffizi, your guide will tell you the about the fascinating history of the gallery. The construction was ordered in 1560 by Cosimo I de’ Medici (known as Cosimo the Great and the first Grand Duke of Tuscany) to house the administrative and judiciary offices of Florence. At the time, the Medici family’s influence in Florence was extremely powerful, and without their patronage of the arts the Italian Renaissance may not have happened as it did.

Botticelli's Primavera and Birth of Venus

One of the most featured artists your guide will tell you of at the museum is Sandro Botticelli, whose masterpieces Primavera and The Birth of Venus are housed here. You may well recognize his painting of The Birth of Venus, which shows the goddess being carried ashore in a giant seashell. Primavera, meanwhile, depicts the arrival of spring with dancing gods and muses in an enchanted garden. Whatever the extent of your art history knowledge, you can't help but admire these paintings’ vibrant compositions.

Caravaggio’s Medusa

A highlight for many art-lovers on this Uffizi tour is Caravaggio’s Medusa. A gripping study of the dark mythological figure with snakes in her hair, the painting is also an excellent example of Caravaggio’s revolutionary approach to the game between light and dark. As you look into Medusa's eyes, she appears to stare back at you. Legend has it that you’ll turn to stone if you hold her gaze for too long.

The Venus of Urbino

Titian’s most sensual painting, the Venus of Urbino, is an exercise in female eroticism. In a departure from previous depictions of the Goddess of Love, Venus appears human in his version. She holds a bouquet of flowers in her right hand while her left hand is placed suggestively between her thighs. With the contrast between the warm colors of her flesh and the dark background, the sensuality of the painting is overwhelming. Learn about the story behind this celebrated work of art, and others by the master Titian.

Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo (Holy Family)

Michelangelo’s Holy Family (or Doni Tondo) painting dates back to the same period as his David statue, and is one of the few remaining examples of Michelangelo’s painting, together with the breathtaking frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. The Doni Tondo also laid the foundations of mannerism, also known as Late Renaissance. This style of European art featured bizarre, striking poses and iridescent colors, and your guide will help you to see its clear origins in this masterpiece.

And much, much more....

These highlights are just a few of the world-class works of art housed at the Uffizi. Let your expert guide tailor your journey into art and history as they share the important stories behind each painting, as well as their context within Florentine and Italian culture. As a private tour, you'll get to experience the Uffizi at a pace that suits you, and your guide can make suggestions based on the artists and styles you love the most.