Vasari designed them as Medici administrative offices; the grand dukes filled them with art, and in 1769 the family left them "to the people of Florence" with one condition: nothing must ever leave the city. Thus the Uffizi became the museum that tells the birth of modern painting, from Giotto to Caravaggio through the entire Renaissance.
What to see
Botticelli's Primavera and Birth of Venus, Leonardo's Annunciation, Michelangelo's Doni Tondo, Titian's Venus of Urbino, Caravaggio's Medusa and Bacchus, Piero della Francesca's portraits of the dukes of Urbino. And the corridor view over Ponte Vecchio, a painting in its own right.
Visiting
Timed booking strongly advised year-round, effectively mandatory in season. Three hours are the bare minimum, a day the measure of love. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings are historically the calmest; closed on Mondays — plan accordingly.
Getting there
Between Piazza della Signoria and the Arno: the whole centre converges there. Fifteen minutes on foot from the station; the pre-booked entrance is at door 1, under the loggia.
Our editors' tip
Don't attempt the full marathon on your first visit: choose twenty rooms and live them. And when the flow delivers you to Botticelli, remember the next room — Leonardo — can often be enjoyed in relative peace while everyone photographs the Venus.