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38-574: During the 16th century, the building was owned by the Cini family. In February 1605, Alamanno Aragon Hocheppan, grandson of Cosimo I , acquired it. The Grassi family first moved in the building in 1655. The Palazzo Grassi was designed by Giorgio Massari , and rebuilt between 1748 and 1772. Massari started the Palazzo while he was finishing the Ca' Rezzonico on the opposite bank of the river. A latecomer among

76-515: A complete restoration overseen by architect Gae Aulenti . The group's aim was to transform Palazzo Grassi into an exhibition hall for the visual arts. It continues to be used as an art gallery today. Between 1984 and 1990, Pontus Hultén was in charge of the art museum which also contained a 600-seat outdoor theatre. In 1990, the architect Aldo Rossi received the Pritzker Architecture Prize in this building. In May 2005,

114-540: A different branch of the Medici family, descended from Giovanni il Popolano , the great-grandson of Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici , founder of the Medici Bank . It was necessary to search for a successor outside of the "senior" branch of the Medici family descended from Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici , since the only male child of Alessandro, the last lineal descendant of the senior branch, was born out-of-wedlock and

152-545: A means to consolidate his administrative control of the various committees, agencies, and guilds established in Florence's Republican past so as to accommodate them all one place, hence the name uffizi , "offices". The construction was later continued by Alfonso Parigi and Bernardo Buontalenti ; it was completed in 1581. The top floor was made into a gallery for the family and their guests and included their collection of Roman sculptures. The cortile (internal courtyard)

190-546: A profound influence on later Italian and French gardens through the eighteenth century. Cosimo also finished the Pitti Palace as a home for the Medici and created the magnificent Boboli Gardens behind the Pitti. As his more prominent ancestors had been, he was also an important patron of the arts, supporting, among others, Giorgio Vasari , Benvenuto Cellini , Pontormo , Bronzino , the architect Baldassarre Lanci , and

228-640: Is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany , Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of the largest and best-known in the world and holds a collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance. After the ruling House of Medici died out, their art collections were given to

266-464: Is so long, narrow, and open to the Arno at its far end through a Doric screen that articulates the space without blocking it, that architectural historians treat it as the first regularized streetscape of Europe. Vasari, a painter, and architect as well, emphasized its perspective length by adorning it with the matching facades' continuous roof cornices, and unbroken cornices between storeys, as well as

304-633: The Battle of Lepanto , and which he entrusted to his new creation, the Knights of St. Stephen . Cosimo is perhaps best known today for the creation of the Uffizi ("offices"). Originally intended as a means of consolidating his administrative control of the various committees, agencies, and guilds established in Florence's Republican past, it now houses one of the world's most important collections of art, much of it commissioned and/or owned by various members of

342-803: The Medici . For many years, 45 to 50 rooms were used to display paintings from the 13th to 18th century. Because of its vast collection, some of the Uffizi's works have in the past been transferred to other museums in Florence—for example, some famous statues to the Bargello . A project was finished in 2006 to expand the museum's exhibition space some 6,000 metres (64,000 ft ) to almost 13,000 metres (139,000 ft ), allowing public viewing of many artworks that had usually been in storage. The Nuovi Uffizi (New Uffizi) renovation project which started in 1989

380-594: The Punta della Dogana to transform it into a contemporary art museum paired with the Palazzo Grassi. The replanning of the building, which was in disrepair when acquired, was also assigned to Tadao Ando. The Punta della Dogana reopened after 14 months of renovation. In 2013, Tadao Ando redesigned the Teatrino into a 225-seat auditorium. The Palazzo Grassi was designed by Giorgio Massari . The main stairwell

418-643: The Sicilian Mafia carried out a car bomb explosion in Via dei Georgofili which damaged parts of the palace and killed five people. The blast destroyed five pieces of art and damaged another 30. Some of the paintings were fully protected by bulletproof glass. The most severe damage was to the Niobe room and classical sculptures and neoclassical interior, which have since been restored, although its frescoes were damaged beyond repair. On 22 July 2022, members of

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456-685: The Florentine state. That recognition came in June 1537 in exchange for help against France in the course of the Italian Wars . With this move, Cosimo firmly restored the power of the Medici , who thereafter ruled Florence until the death of the last of the Medici rulers, Gian Gastone de' Medici , in 1737. The help granted to Charles V allowed him to free Tuscany from the Imperial garrisons and to increase as much as possible its independence from

494-579: The French entrepreneur François Pinault bought the Palazzo Grassi for 29 million euros. The remodeling of the building was assigned to the Japanese architect Tadao Ando . The Palazzo reopened in April 2006 with the exhibit Where Are We Going? . The Palazzo is divided in 40 rooms, providing 5,000 m of exhibition floor. Jean-Jacques Aillagon was the museum's first director. In 2007, François Pinault acquired

532-418: The Medici family. His gardens at Villa di Castello , designed by Niccolò Tribolo when Cosimo was only seventeen years old, were designed to announce a new golden age for Florence and to demonstrate the magnificence and virtues of the Medici. They were decorated with fountains, a labyrinth , a grotto and ingenious ornamental water features, and were a prototype for the Italian Renaissance garden . They had

570-793: The Medici with the Pitti Palace and was a patron of the new Jesuit order. The Duchess died with her sons Giovanni and Garzia in 1562, when she was only forty; all three of them were struck down by malaria while traveling to Pisa . Cosimo and Eleanor had: Before his first marriage, Cosimo fathered an illegitimate daughter with an unknown woman: After Eleanor's death in 1562, Cosimo fathered two children with his mistress Eleonora degli Albizzi : In 1570, Cosimo married Camilla Martelli (died 1590) and fathered one child with her: Uffizi The Uffizi Gallery ( UK : / juː ˈ f ɪ t s i , ʊ ˈ f iː t s i / yoo- FIT -see, uu- FEET -see ; Italian : Galleria degli Uffizi , pronounced [ɡalleˈriːa deʎʎ ufˈfittsi] )

608-630: The Uffizi in 2016, making it the most visited art gallery in Italy. At peak periods (particularly in July), waiting times for entry can be up to five hours. Advance tickets can be bought online, to significantly reduce the waiting time. In 2018 a revised ticketing system was introduced to reduce queuing times to just minutes. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the museum was closed for 150 days in 2020, and attendance plunged by 72 percent to 659,043. Nonetheless,

646-532: The Uffizi was twenty-seventh in the list of most-visited art museums in the world in 2020. Works from the Uffizi gallery collection are now available for remote viewing on Google Arts and Culture. The museum reopened in May 2021 following a renovation that included an addition of 14 new rooms and a display of additional 129 artworks, with the museum attempting to give more voice to historically under-represented groups including women and people of color. On 27 May 1993,

684-556: The ceilings are decorated by the artists Giambattista Canal and Christian Griepenkerl . The Palazzo Grassi was the last palace to be built on the Grand Canal before the fall of the Venetian Republic , and the largest-sited. The Grassi family sold the palazzo in 1840, with ownership that followed passing through many different individuals. In 1857, the building was bought by Baron Simeone De Sina. A small scenic garden

722-434: The city of Florence under the famous Patto di famiglia negotiated by Anna Maria Luisa , the last Medici heiress. The Uffizi is one of the first modern museums. The gallery had been open to visitors by request since the sixteenth century, and in 1769 it was officially opened to the public, formally becoming a museum in 1865. The building of the Uffizi complex was begun by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 for Cosimo I de' Medici as

760-563: The climate activist group Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) glued themselves to the glass protecting Sandro Botticelli 's Primavera demanding an end to fossil fuel usage. The painting was undamaged. On 13 February 2024, members of Ultima Generazione glued images of flooding in Tuscany in 2023 to the glass protecting Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus in protest over the Italian government's inaction on climate change. The painting

798-506: The daughter of Don Pedro Álvarez de Toledo , the Spanish viceroy of Naples . The couple had a long and peaceful married life. Surprisingly for the era, Cosimo was faithful to his wife throughout their married life. The example of a traditional couple served to strengthen his various reforms and separate their association with the former Duke. Eleanor was a political adviser to her husband and often ruled Florence in his absence. She provided

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836-515: The famous condottiere Ludovico de' Medici (known as Giovanni delle Bande Nere ) and his wife Maria Salviati , herself a granddaughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent . He was the grandson of Caterina Sforza , the Countess of Forlì and Lady of Imola . Cosimo became Duke of Florence in 1537 at age 17, after the former Duke of Florence, Alessandro de' Medici , was assassinated. Cosimo was from

874-574: The first grand duke of Tuscany , a title he held until his death. Cosimo I succeeded his cousin to the duchy. He built the Uffizi (office) to organize his administration, and conquered Siena to consolidate Florence's rule in Tuscany. He expanded the Pitti Palace and most of the Boboli Gardens were also laid out during his reign. Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 June 1519, the son of

912-532: The fortress, where Strozzi and a few of his companions had retreated to safety. It fell after only a few hours, and Cosimo celebrated his first victory. The prominent prisoners were subsequently beheaded on the Piazza della Signoria or in the Bargello . Filippo Strozzi 's body was found with a bloody sword next to it and a note quoting Virgil , but many believe that his suicide was faked. In 1537, Cosimo sent Bernardo Antonio de' Medici to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to gain recognition for his position as head of

950-425: The frequent passage of foreign armies. Examples include the new fortresses of Siena, Arezzo , Sansepolcro , the new walls of Pisa and Fivizzano and the strongholds of Portoferraio on the island of Elba and Terra del Sole . He laid heavy tax burdens on his subjects. Despite his economic difficulties, Cosimo I was a lavish patron of the arts and also developed the Florentine navy, which eventually took part in

988-420: The historians Scipione Ammirato and Benedetto Varchi . A large bronze equestrian statue of Cosimo I by Giambologna , erected in 1598, still stands today in the Piazza della Signoria , the main square of Florence. Cosimo was also an enthusiast of alchemy , a passion he inherited from his grandmother Caterina Sforza . In 1539, Cosimo married the Spanish noblewoman Eleanor of Toledo (1522 – 1562),

1026-472: The last redoubt of Sienese independence, was annexed to Cosimo's territories. In 1569, Pope Pius V elevated him to the rank of Grand Duke of Tuscany. In the last 10 years of his reign, struck by the death of two of his sons by malaria , Cosimo gave up active rule of the Florentine state to his son and successor Francesco I . He retreated to live in his villa, the Villa di Castello , outside Florence. Cosimo

1064-457: The overwhelming Spanish influence in Italy. Cosimo next turned his attention to Siena . With the support of Charles V, he defeated the Sienese at the Battle of Marciano in 1554 and laid siege to their city. Despite the inhabitants' desperate resistance, the city fell on 17 April 1555 after a 15-month siege, its population diminished from forty thousand to eight thousand. In 1559, Montalcino ,

1102-474: The palaces on the Grand Canal of Venice , Palazzo Grassi has an academic classical style that is in contrast to the surrounding Byzantine Romanesque and Baroque Venetian palazzi. It has a formal palace façade, constructed of white marble, but lacks the lower mercantile openings typical of many Venetian patrician palaces. The main stairwell is frescoed by Michelangelo Morlaiter and Francesco Zanchi, and

1140-502: The plan was carried out by his son, Grand Duke Francesco I . He commissioned the architect Buontalenti to design the Tribuna degli Uffizi that would display a series of masterpieces in one room, including jewels; it became a highly influential attraction of a Grand Tour . The octagonal room was completed in 1584. Over the years, more sections of the building were recruited to exhibit paintings and sculptures collected or commissioned by

1178-527: The three continuous steps on which the museum fronts stand. The niches in the piers that alternate with columns of the Loggiato are filled with sculptures of famous artists in the 19th century. The Uffizi brought together under one roof the administrative offices and the Archivio di Stato, the state archive. The project was intended to display prime artworks of the Medici collections on the piano nobile ;

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1216-471: Was an authoritarian ruler and secured his position by employing a guard of Swiss mercenaries . In 1548, he managed to have his relative Lorenzino , the last Medici claimant to Florence who had earlier arranged the assassination of Cosimo's predecessor Alessandro, assassinated himself in Venice . Cosimo also was an active builder of military structures, as a part of his attempt to save the Florentine state from

1254-533: Was created adjacent to the building. In 1951, the building became the International Centre of Arts and Costume. The adjacent garden was turned into an open-air theatre (Teatrino), which was finally covered in the 1960s. The International Centre for Arts and Costume closed in 1983. The Palazzo was purchased by the Fiat Group in 1983, under the late chairman Gianni Agnelli , and it underwent

1292-463: Was different from the glutton's." Cosimo proved strong-willed, astute and ambitious and soon rejected the clause he had signed that entrusted much of the power of the Florentine duchy to a Council of Forty-Eight. When the Florentine exiles heard of the death of Alessandro, they marshalled their forces with support from France and from disgruntled neighbors of Florence. During this time, Cosimo had an illegitimate daughter, Bia (1537 – 1542), who

1330-457: Was frescoed by Michelangelo Morlaiter and Francesco Zanchi. The ceilings were decorated by Giovanni Battista Canal and Christian Griepenkerl . 45°26′01″N 12°19′40″E  /  45.43361°N 12.32778°E  / 45.43361; 12.32778 Cosimo I de%27 Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second and last duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became

1368-537: Was only four years old at the time of his father's death. Up to the time of his accession , Cosimo had lived only in Mugello (the ancestral homeland of the Medici family ) and was almost unknown in Florence. However, many of the influential men in the city favoured him as the new duke. Several hoped to rule through him, thereby enriching themselves at the state's expense. However, as the Florentine literatus Benedetto Varchi famously put it, "The innkeeper's reckoning

1406-399: Was portrayed shortly before her premature death in a painting by Bronzino . Toward the end of July 1537, the exiles marched into Tuscany under the leadership of Bernardo Salviati and Piero Strozzi . When Cosimo heard of their approach, he sent his best troops under Alessandro Vitelli to engage the enemy, which they did at Montemurlo . After defeating the exiles' army, Vitelli stormed

1444-658: Was progressing well from 2015 to 2017. It was intended to modernize all of the halls and more than double the display space. A new exit was also planned and the lighting, air conditioning and security systems were updated. During construction, the museum remained open, although rooms were closed as necessary with the artwork temporarily moved to another location. For example, the Botticelli rooms and two others with early Renaissance paintings were closed for 15 months but reopened in October 2016. Over two million visitors visited

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