Academy Gallery: the great masterpieces of the Renaissance in Florence
Explore the Accademia Gallery: everything you need to know about tickets, opening hours, and guided tours.
Accademia Gallery: the tickets most chosen by travelers
Why visit Accademia Gallery in Florence
Anyone choosing Florence as a captivating destination for a magical weekend or a holiday to uncover its wonders cannot miss exploring the Accademia Gallery. You can admire a collection of remarkable masterpieces. As you wander through the gallery's exquisite rooms, you will encounter an enchanting treasure trove of artistic and historical marvels. The galleries showcase a rich array of artifacts from antiquity, the intriguing and legendary Middle Ages, and more recent historical periods, all set within sumptuous and evocative spaces of this renowned museum, celebrated worldwide.
Visitors will be captivated by the stunning pictorial and sculptural masterpieces of Michelangelo Buonarroti, a leading figure of the 16th century, along with works by other talented and diverse artists who contributed to the vibrant Florentine cultural scene from the 13th to the 16th century. It is the second most visited museum by national and international travellers and tourists after the Uffizi.
Art and history enthusiasts fond of masterpieces of the Renaissance, a glorious era of profound cultural, artistic, and philosophical transformations in the European and world cultural panorama, will have the opportunity to admire works of inestimable value and importance for world history.
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Useful information to visit Accademia Gallery in Florence
Opening times
The Accademia Gallery can be visited every day except st January, 25th December, and Mondays. It opens at 8:15 a.m. and closes at 6:50 p.m., with the last admission at 6:20 p.m.
On 5th December the museum remains open until 10:00 p.m., with the last admission at 9:15 p.m., while on 24th and 31st December it closes at 6:00 p.m. with the last admission at 5:15 p.m. On 6th January, it will be open from 8:15 a.m. to 6:50 p.m., with the last admission at 6:20 p.m.
Tickets and costs
Admission to the Accademia Gallery costs €16, while the reduced rate, valid for young people aged between 18 and 25, is €2. For those who wish to purchase a full-price ticket, taking advantage of the booking service, the cost of the booking service is added to the ordinary price, which amounts to €4.
The reduction applies to citizens of the European Union and non-European countries as long as the condition of reciprocity exists, as well as to holders of a residence permit, provided the requirements indicated on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website are met.
To visit the Accademia Gallery, you can take advantage of the Bonus Cultura by purchasing a ticket for the Gallery through the App.
The ticket is free of charge for certain categories, including citizens under the age of 18, teachers and student groups from public and private institutes of the European Union, accompanied by teaching staff, students of the faculties of architecture, science of education, conservation of cultural heritage, literary studies with a focus on stoics, art and archaeology, philosophy, literature and correspondence courses, interpreters working in the tourism sector, tour guides, disabled persons with an accompanying person, workers and collaborators of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, registered journalists and members of ICOM.
Among other alternatives, skip-the-line tickets are also available for faster access.
The ticket office closes half an hour earlier than the museum exhibition closing time.
Accessibility
The institution is equipped with devices to facilitate access so that disabled people can enjoy the museum exhibition to the fullest. In addition, the entire tour is easy to explore.
Booking
To avoid spending long hours in queues and facing excessive waiting times, it would be better to book in advance online and by email. Due to the procedures necessary to close the museum, which starts 10 minutes before the scheduled time, visitors are not allowed to enter the rooms where the musical instruments are displayed, located on the ground floor and the rooms on the first floor after 18:40.
Accademia Gallery: tips for your visit
FAQS about visiting Accademy Gallery in Florence
1. Where is the Accademia Gallery located?
The prestigious museum is located at Via Ricasoli, 58/60 in Florence and is quickly accessible from every city corner.
2. How do I book a visit to the Accademia Gallery?
It is strongly recommended that tickets be booked in advance, especially during peak season. You can buy tickets online to avoid waiting in queues for many hours.
3. How long does it take to visit the Accademia Gallery in Florence?
A guided tour to admire the masterpieces on display in the rooms of the Accademia Gallery in Florence takes between 30 and 90 minutes. If, on the other hand, you prefer to enjoy a more relaxed and in-depth visit, depending on the works that interest you most and the pace at which your visit takes place, it can take up to two to three hours.
4. What's in the Accademia Gallery in Florence?
This prestigious and fascinating museum, located in the marvelous historical centre of Florence, is studded with exquisite works of art. Visiting it, you can contemplate the extraordinary beauty of no less than seven statues created by Michelangelo, one of the geniuses of the Italian Renaissance. One of the most famous and appreciated is the David, one of the most iconic symbols of the Renaissance era. Since 1873, it has been located in the room known as the Tribuna del David, while on the sides you can observe Mannerist works dating back to the 16th century. What immediately impresses the visitor is its imposing height, equivalent to 5.30 metres.
Other masterpieces include admirable paintings decorated with a gold background and magnificent musical instruments. The exhibition is divided into 12 rooms, organised in itineraries that skilfully enhance the masterpieces on display. Other rooms include the Hall of the Colossus, named after one of the Dioscuri of Montecavallo: the Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna, and pictorial masterpieces by Paolo Uccello, Perugino, and Botticelli are exhibited here.
In the Prison Gallery, we can admire four male sculptures by Michelangelo, the St. Matthew, the Palestrina Pietà, and other 16th-century works. The other exhibition spaces include the Hall of the Thirteenth Century, which houses paintings from the Florentine Gothic period and a fragment by Giotto, the Madonna with Child and Saints attributed to Grifo di Tancredi, the Madonna Enthroned with Child attributed to Guido da Siena the Hall of the Nineteenth Century, also known as the Gipsoteca Bartolini, we can contemplate sculptures and paintings by twentieth-century artists. This is followed by the Room of Giotteschi, which contains works by Taddeo Gaddi, Bernardo Daddi, and Niccolò di Pietro Gerini, the Sala degli Orcagna, the Room of late 14th century, Giovanni da Milano, International Gothic, Lorenzo Monaco and a collection of Russian icons.
5. What is the best time to visit the Accademia Gallery?
Due to the considerable flow of tourists who explore this splendid cultural treasure and the splendid works of art on display at the Accademia Gallery in Florence daily, you should plan your tour around the least crowded times to best appreciate its masterpieces. The best times to visit coincide with weekdays, during the early morning or evening, close to closing time, and in the low season, between October and April.
How to arrive at Accademia Gallery in Florence
If you prefer to explore the historic centre of Florence on foot, the Accademia Gallery is about 2.5 kilometres from the Uffizi Gallery. To get there smoothly, walk along Via dell'Anguillara and head towards Florence Cathedral through Via Folco Portinari. Go to Via de' Pucci and turn into Via Camillo Cavour. Take Via degli Alfani and follow until the Accademia Gallery.
As you stroll through the splendid rooms, you will admire remarkable masterpieces. Taking an alternative route, reach Via della Ninna and choose the second street on the left, which branches off Piazza della Signoria. Reach Via dei Calzaiuoli, turn right into Piazza del Duomo after about 50 metres and take the second left into Via Ricasoli. You will find the Accademia Gallery on the right.
If you prefer to travel by bus, the route is 1.5 kilometres from the Uffizi Gallery. The lines serving the area are 14, 23, 6, and 31.
For those arriving by train, the nearest railway station is Santa Maria Novella, about a 15-minute walk away.
If you prefer to take the bus, lines D, 6, 11, 13, 14, and 17 all stop near the museum.
Among the many alternatives available, we also recommend taxis, which cost between €6 and €8 for a single ride.
You can benefit from several convenient and safe pay car parks, including Garage Sant'Ambrogio (a 5-minute walk), Garage Le Cascine (a 12 minutes walk), Garage Verdi (a 15-minute walk), Garage Il Campo (a 1- minute walk), Garage Europa (7 minutes walk), Park2Go Parcheggio Firenze and Garage Alfani by Muoviamo.
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Accademia Gallery in Florence: everything you need to know to plan your visit in 2023
Organize with us your visit to the Accademia Gallery in Florence: here you can find all the info and tickets skip the line.
How to visit Accademia Gallery
Guided tours are permitted for groups of up to 20 people, including the guide.If groups consist of more than eight people, earphones are required.
To admire the treasures of this splendid attraction, it is essential to plan your visit as well as possible. A good tip is to book your tour to enjoy an immersive experience calmly.
The Accademia Gallery story in short
The fascinating history of Florence's splendid Accademia Gallery began in 1784, the year when the Grand Duke of Tuscany Pietro Leopoldo decided to reorganise the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno, established in 1563 by Cosimo I De Medici to house a collection of sculptures and paintings to facilitate the studies of his students. The ancient premises of the Hospital of San Matteo and the convent of San Niccolò di Cafaggio were chosen for the institution's headquarters. Over the centuries, the museum exhibition expanded considerably, enriched with numerous masterpieces.
In 1841, the President of the Accademia, Antonio Ramirez de Montalvo, changed the layout of the museum display, favouring a chronological criterion. During the period when Florence was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, new acquisitions of works from the Modern Gallery located in the Palace della Crocetta. The Ancient and Modern Gallery became the first museum dedicated to contemporary art through the nation-state.
In 1873, the event that played a pivotal role in the history of the prestigious museum: the David by Michelangelo Buonarroti was moved from Signoria Square to its current location in the Tribuna, the design of which was entrusted to the architect Emilio De Fabris. Due to the move of contemporary works to the Pitti Palace and other Florentine masterpieces to the Uffizi, it changed its name to the Accademia Gallery.
Accademia Gallery curiosities
Are you wondering about the origin of this wonderful museum's name? It derives from the events surrounding its foundation. In the 18th century, Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo of Lorraine established the Accademia di Belle Arti, an institution that also included the Accademia delle Arti e del Disegno, whose foundation dates back to Cosimo I. Next to it, a didactic gallery arose, attended by students to broaden their artistic education. Over time, valuable and famous works of art flowed into it.
The David located in Piazza della Signoria represents a mold, whose marble originals are displayed in the spectacular Gallery. To transport it to its present location, a wooden structure was used in 1873, which involved sliding on rails. Moving to the adjacent Room of the Colosso, you will find the original model of the Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna, a copy of which is located in the same square.
Among the musical instruments on display in the Accademia Gallery are extremely rare specimens from the private collections of the Lorraine and Medici families, a fine 18th-century Stradivari violin, and marvellous gold-ground panels by Giotto, Orcagna, and Agnolo Gaddi de del Maestro della Santa Cecilia.