Director of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Antonio Natali gives his insider guide to what is commonly considered one of the world's best galleries.

January 30, 2013 09:57

Considered one of the best galleries in the world, the Uffizi in Florence is known for its exceptional art and the large crowds who come to admire it. Gallery director Antonio Natali gives his insider guide to the attraction and advises visitors on how to make the most of their time there.


How should first-time visitors to the Uffizi Gallery structure their visit? 

Visitors entering the Uffizi Gallery (or any other museum in the world, for that matter) should choose artworks that are of intellectual and spiritual interest, and should not be too worried about what the media has to say about the art.


What should visitors ensure they see? 

Once they have appreciated what best suits their hearts, visitor should see works by important Uffizi artists: Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raffaello, Tiziano, Caravaggio.


When are the best times to visit? 

The best time of the year to visit the Uffizi Gallery is during the winter, that is: from mid-November to mid-December, January and February.


For visitors with limited time, which rooms/exhibits should be avoided? 

I wouldn't suggest avoiding certain rooms or exhibits. However I would tell visitors with limited time to check which rooms have their favourite artists in them, and then head to these first.


Which works best give insight into Italy?  

Most of the artworks in the Uffizi Gallery are representative of Italian culture (Florentine mostly). The sale dei primitivi [Early Renaissance room] gives the best insight into our country. Artists such as Cimabue and Duccio are important early Renaissance figures, and Giotto's Maestà, Paolo Uccello's Battaglia di San Romano, Masaccio's Sant’Anna metterza and Piero della Francesca Dittico di Urbino are important works to see.


What's your favourite artwork?   

My favourite artwork outside the Uffizi collections is Deposizione by Rosso Fiorentino, in Volterra, which I find deeply touching and it is one of the most poetic artworks belonging to my favourite period Maniera Moderna. Among the artworks in the Uffizi collections my favourite one is Madonna delle arpie by Andrea del Sarto.


Which artwork has the most interesting history? 

Pala dello Spedalingo by Rosso Fiorentino has a very intricate history: the client it was meant for refused it because of the diabolic expressions the artist gave the saints. After various attempts were made to modify the saints, the artwork ended up in a church far away in the Florentine countryside.


What is the most controversial artwork? 

One of the most controversial is Adorazione dei Magi by Leonardo da Vinci: because it was left unfinished, many historians have tried to figure out its meaning, and have came up with some really bizarre interpretations.


What is the institution’s greatest strength? 

The Uffizi Gallery is an institution with ancient and noble origins. It was built in 1560 for Cosimo I de'Medici, and the original design was by Giorgio Vasari, one of the leading painters and architects of the 16th century. The space was originally intended for offices and to host bureaucratic meetings for various magistrates. However, Francesco I de' Medici, Cosimo's son, decided to use the upper floor of the Uffizi - which featured unusually large windows - to display the family's collection of art, thus creating the world's oldest art gallery. His successors kept expanding the collection until 1737, when Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici - the last scion of the Medici family - donated the works of art to the citizens of Florence. Over the past few centuries, the gallery has amassed an extraordinarily rich collection, including pivotal works in the history of western art.


What is its greatest weakness? 

I'm not sure if this is a weakness of the gallery, but what I worry the most about is that visitors may not fully enjoy the magic of all the artworks because of the number of people crowding into the rooms.


What's unique about the institution? 

 Uffizi Gallery is unique because of its history, its collections and because it is situated in the centre of Florence, a city rich with culture.


Where else do you recommend visitors visit in the city? 

Being as I am a historian of Florentine Maniera Moderna, or ‘modern style’, I would recommend a little cloister in Florence which is considered the place where Maniera Moderna started. It is called Chiostrino de’ voti della Santissima Annunziata. It is a cloister you must pass through to get to the famous sanctuary. In this cloister Andrea del Sarto and his brilliant students Rosso Fiorentino and Pontormo started to paint. This is the place where the great Cinquecento Fiorentino started.


Read our expert's complete Florence city break guide here.