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The Uffizi Building

Vasari's Corridors, the Tribuna and the Terrace

The Tribuna • The Niobe Room • Antique Marbles • The Terrace

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🎨 Your Perfect Florence Experience

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Piazzale degli Uffizi

Between Piazza della Signoria and the Arno

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The Building

Allow an hour on top of the paintings

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The Terrace

Above the Loggia dei Lanzi, included with entry

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Tickets

One ticket covers the whole gallery; check uffizi.it

🧭 Why Visit

Most people walk the Uffizi looking only at what is hung on the walls, and the building is the other half of the ticket. Two long wings with a slot of sky between them, corridors of Roman marble under painted ceilings, an octagonal treasure room, and a terrace over the Loggia dei Lanzi that is included and almost always quiet.

🏛️ A Little History

Cosimo I had Vasari build the uffizi, the offices, from 1560, to gather the Florentine magistracies under one roof and put them where he could see them. Work carried on after Vasari died in 1574, and the top floor was already a gallery for the family's antiquities long before anything here was a public museum.

💡 Did You Know?

The courtyard is a designed view rather than a leftover space. It runs from the arch on the Arno straight to the Palazzo Vecchio, and wherever you stand in that run the tower closes the far end of it.

A CORRIDOR OF AIR BETWEEN TWO WINGS

The Courtyard and the Approach

Vasari set two long wings facing each other with a narrow slot of sky between them, closed at one end by an arch onto the Arno and at the other by the Palazzo Vecchio. It is not a square that happens to be long. It is a designed view, and the tower is the thing it was aimed at.

The east wing of the Uffizi courtyard in low raking sun, columns and statue niches receding toward the Arno. — **The east wing**Low raking sun down the colonnade, the columns and the statue niches receding toward the Arno.

The Uffizi's long west wing with the Torre di Arnolfo of the Palazzo Vecchio rising beyond its cornice. — **The wing and the tower**The long wing runs north and the Torre di Arnolfo of the Palazzo Vecchio rises past its cornice.

The vaulted ground floor portico of the Uffizi running the length of the wing, empty in early afternoon. — **The ground portico**The vaulted walk runs the whole length of the wing. Empty in the early afternoon, which does not last.

The arch closing the Arno end of the Uffizi courtyard, framing the Palazzo Vecchio tower at the far end. — **The Arno end**The arch that closes the south end of the courtyard, with the tower framed at the far end of the run.

Two tall arches at the north end of the Uffizi courtyard opening onto Piazza della Signoria. — **Out to the Signoria**Two tall arches at the north end open straight onto Piazza della Signoria.

A marble figure set in the wall above the Uffizi courtyard arch, against open sky. — **Above the span**A marble figure set into the wall above the arch, against open sky.

The two wings of the Uffizi from outside, the Palazzo Vecchio tower and Brunelleschi's dome rising behind them. — **Both wings from outside**The tower and Brunelleschi's dome rise behind the building. That relationship is what the plan was arranged to produce.

The Palazzo Vecchio and its tower seen from Piazza della Signoria at the head of the Uffizi courtyard. — **From the piazza**The Palazzo Vecchio and its tower at the head of the courtyard, seen from the square.

PAINTED CEILINGS AND THE OCTAGON

Corridors, Rooms and Ceilings

The top floor is a U of corridors with grotesque ceilings painted bay by bay, a frieze of small portraits running underneath them, and rooms opening off the run. The Tribuna is the one to slow down for, and almost nobody looks up in the corridors at all.

The Uffizi's third corridor seen down its length, grotesque painted ceiling above and antiquities along both walls. — **The third corridor**Seen down its length, the grotesque ceiling overhead and antiquities along both walls.

A gallery corridor of the Uffizi running away in perspective, antique marbles ranged along both walls. — **Down the run**Marbles ranged along both walls and the corridor running away far enough that the far end goes soft.

A first floor corridor of the Uffizi under plain barrel coffering, sunlight falling in patches on the wood floor. — **First floor**Plain barrel coffering and sunlight in patches on the wood floor, a quieter register than the painted corridors above it.

The vaulted gallery across the Arno end of the Uffizi, the short arm joining the two long corridors. — **The cross arm**The short vaulted gallery across the Arno end that joins the two long corridors into a U.

One bay of the Uffizi corridor ceiling seen straight up, painted with grotesque ornament on a pale ground. — **One bay**Straight up into a single bay, grotesque ornament on a pale ground.

Painted figures worked into the grotesque ornament of a Uffizi corridor ceiling. — **Figures in the ornament**Small figures worked into the scrollwork, painted for people walking past rather than for people standing still.

A painted medallion set in scrollwork on a corridor ceiling of the Uffizi. — **Medallion and scrollwork**A painted medallion set into the ornament of another bay.

A frieze of small painted portraits running under the grotesque ceiling of a Uffizi corridor. — **The portrait frieze**A band of small painted portraits runs under the ceiling for the length of the corridor.

The octagonal Tribuna of the Uffizi, its pietre dure floor and mother of pearl dome empty of visitors. — **The Tribuna**Buontalenti's octagon of the early 1580s, built for Francesco I to hold the most precious things the family owned. Pietre dure floor, mother of pearl dome.

The shell encrusted dome of the Tribuna seen from below, its lantern at the centre. — **The dome**Encrusted with mother of pearl shells, the lantern at the centre of it.

The Sala della Niobe, pale coffered vault above a black and white checkerboard floor, standing empty. — **Sala della Niobe**The pale coffered vault above a black and white checkerboard floor, standing empty.

The stuccoed coffered vault of the Sala della Niobe seen straight up. — **The vault**Straight up into the stucco coffering.

A stucco relief panel in the vault of the Sala della Niobe, close. — **A relief panel**One stucco relief in the same vault, close.

The head of the first corridor, the Hercules and Nessus group below a grotesque painted ceiling, marbles either side. — **The head of the corridor**The Hercules and Nessus group below a grotesque ceiling with marbles either side of it.

The Gabinetto delle Miniature in the Uffizi, its painted vault and oculus above deep red walls. — **The Miniatures Cabinet**A painted vault and an oculus above deep red walls. A small room built for small objects.

The open timber roof over the room of the great gold ground Maestas at the Uffizi. — **Open trusses**The room of the great gold ground Maestas is roofed in open timber, which is a deliberate reference to the churches those panels came out of.

A gilded coffered ceiling in the Uffizi, painted canvases set into its compartments. — **A gilded ceiling**Coffering with painted canvases set into its compartments.

Frescoed wall maps in the Sala delle Carte Geografiche, painted canvases set into the ceiling above them. — **The map room**The Sala delle Carte Geografiche, frescoed wall maps with painted canvases in the ceiling above them.

The entrance to the Vasari Corridor inside the Uffizi. — **The corridor entrance**The way into the Vasari Corridor, the covered kilometre that runs over the Ponte Vecchio to the Pitti.

ANTIQUITIES ALONG THE WALLS

Antique Sculpture in the Corridors

The corridors were hung with the Medici antiquities long before they were hung with paintings, and the marbles are still there, ranged between the windows. Most people walk straight past them on the way to a room.

Bandinelli's marble copy of the Laocoon standing against a corridor window of the Uffizi. — **Bandinelli's Laocoon**A sixteenth century marble copy of the antique group, standing against a corridor window.

The monumental marble krater known as the Medici Vase, its figured relief frieze running round the body. — **The Medici Vase**A monumental marble krater with a figured relief frieze running round the body.

The restored antique marble of Hercules and the centaur Nessus, on a red pedestal under a grotesque painted ceiling. — **Hercules and Nessus**An antique group heavily restored, on a red pedestal under the painted ceiling.

An antique marble of Marsyas strung up by the wrists, standing against a pier of the Uffizi corridor. — **Marsyas in white marble**Strung up by the wrists against a corridor pier.

The companion Marsyas of the pair, its stone deep red brown, against a corridor pier of the Uffizi. — **The darker Marsyas**The companion figure, its stone a deep red brown. The two are displayed as a pair.

An antique marble of a standing nude youth with a tree trunk support, on a wooden plinth in the First Corridor. — **A standing youth**With the tree trunk support that usually gives away a marble copy of a bronze original.

An antique marble group of two figures on a coloured marble base, lit from the corridor windows behind. — **Against the window**A two figure group on a coloured marble base, lit from the corridor windows behind it.

Two nude male figures carved as one group, standing on a dark plinth in the Uffizi corridor. — **Two figures, one block**Carved as a single group and standing on a dark plinth.

A Roman portrait bust in a toga, set on a dark marble column against a plain wall. — **A togate bust**A Roman portrait on a dark marble column against a plain wall.

A dark bronze standing male nude on its plinth, a gilt framed painting on the wall behind. — **A bronze**A dark standing nude on its plinth, a gilt framed painting on the wall behind it.

A marble group of a wreathed nude youth with a smaller draped companion, against a corridor wall. — **A wreathed youth**With a smaller draped companion, against the corridor wall.

The upper figures of the wreathed marble group, close. — **The upper figures**Close on the heads of the same group.

A marble Madonna and Child seated in a plain stone niche on a stairwell wall of the Uffizi. — **On the stairs**A marble Madonna and Child seated in a plain niche on a stairwell wall, well away from the galleries.

ONE RED ROOM OF ROMAN MARBLE

The Cabinet of Ancient Marbles

A small room of deep red walls where the sculpture is close enough to walk round. A crouching Venus, two winged Eros figures, a Spinario, a colossal bearded head and a fragmentary torso on an antique base.

A Roman marble of a curly haired youth kneeling with his arms folded across his chest. — **A kneeling youth**Curly haired, arms folded across the chest.

A winged marble Eros standing on a tall pale pedestal against the red wall of the Cabinet of Ancient Marbles. — **Eros**Winged, on a tall pale pedestal against the red wall.

A second winged marble youth standing in the corner of the Cabinet of Ancient Marbles. — **The second**Another winged youth standing in the corner of the same room.

A Roman marble Hercules, the lion skin draped over his club, against the red wall. — **Hercules**The lion skin draped over the club, against the red.

An antique marble of a seated boy bent forward to pull a thorn from his foot. — **The Spinario**The boy bent forward to pull a thorn out of his foot, a subject copied over and over since antiquity.

A colossal bearded marble head on its socle against the deep red wall of the Gabinetto dei Marmi. — **A colossal head**Bearded, on its socle against the deep red wall.

A seated antique marble of a bearded man in chiton and himation, one hand on his knee, on a porphyry coloured plinth. — **Seated in chiton and himation**A bearded man with one hand on his knee, on a porphyry coloured plinth.

A marble mask of a bearded head with ram's horns curling behind the ears, mounted on the wall. — **A horned mask**A bearded head with ram's horns curling behind the ears, mounted on the wall.

A fragmentary Roman marble torso set on an antique carved base. — **A torso**A fragmentary Roman torso set on an antique carved base. The mount is about as old as the fragment.

A marble relief panel carved with a miniature colonnaded facade, mounted on brackets. — **A miniature facade**A relief panel carved with a colonnaded front, mounted on brackets.

A ROOM BUILT FOR ONE GROUP

The Niobe Room

The Niobid group was found in Rome in 1583 and reached Florence two centuries later, and this room was built in the 1780s to hold it. Pale coffered vault, checkerboard floor, the figures ranged along both walls under large canvases.

Three Niobid statues ranged along the wall of the Sala della Niobe above the checkerboard floor. — **Three along the wall**Niobid statues ranged above the checkerboard floor, spaced so the group reads as an event rather than a line.

The Sala della Niobe down its axis, the statues ranged along both walls beneath the great canvases. — **Down the axis**Statues along both walls beneath the great canvases, which is how the room was designed to be read.

A dead Niobid lying on his plinth in the Sala della Niobe. — **A dead son**Recumbent on his plinth.

A son of Niobe pulling his mantle up over his head, lit against the dark canvas behind. — **Pulling up the mantle**A son of Niobe raising his cloak over his head, lit against the dark canvas behind him.

A kneeling daughter of Niobe with her arms raised, complete on her plinth. — **Kneeling**A daughter with both arms raised, complete on her plinth.

A son of Niobe falling with his right arm thrown up, on a Greek key plinth. — **Falling**A son going down with his right arm thrown up, on a Greek key plinth.

A standing draped daughter of Niobe, the pale marble clear against the wall behind. — **Standing and frontal**Draped, the pale marble clear against the wall.

A running Niobid with one arm raised, her drapery swinging out behind her. — **Running**One arm raised and the drapery swinging out behind, which is the only real speed in the room.

A striding nude son of Niobe with drapery over one arm, clear of the pilaster behind. — **Striding**A nude son with drapery over one arm, clear of the pilaster behind him.

The bearded tutor of the Niobids, head and raised arm, close. — **The tutor**The bearded pedagogue, head and raised arm, the one older man in the group.

The head and shoulders of a daughter of Niobe turned upward, close. — **Looking up**The head and shoulders of a daughter turned upward, close.

The antique marble horse in the Sala della Niobe, reared up on a rocky base by its sixteenth century restorer. — **The horse**Reared up on a rocky base by a sixteenth century restorer. That pose is a restorer's decision, not an antique one.

A large Rubens canvas hanging above the Niobid statues in the Sala della Niobe. — **Rubens above**One of the large Rubens canvases hung above the statues.

DRAWING WITHOUT PAINT

Decorative Arts and Surfaces

The Medici ran a workshop for pietre dure, pictures assembled out of cut and fitted coloured stone. There is no paint in them anywhere. The joins between the stones do the drawing.

A pietre dure panel of a harbour, its lighthouse and shipping inlaid in coloured stone on a lapis ground. — **A harbour in stone**The lighthouse and the shipping inlaid in coloured stone on a lapis ground. There is no paint in it anywhere.

The inlaid lighthouse and the ships around it, a detail of the pietre dure harbour panel. — **The lighthouse**Close on the inlay, where the joins between the stones do the drawing.

WINDOWS, THE TERRACE AND ONE SCAR

Views Out, and the 1993 Scar

The windows are half the building. The Arno one way, the courtyard and the tower the other, and a terrace over the Loggia dei Lanzi that comes with the ticket and stays quiet. On 27 May 1993 a car bomb in Via dei Georgofili killed five people and damaged the west wing. We have not tried to identify the marks in these last two frames as that damage.

The Ponte Vecchio and the Arno seen from a west corridor window of the Uffizi. — **Ponte Vecchio downstream**From a west corridor window. The Vasari Corridor runs along the top of that bridge.

The Arno seen upstream through a tall window of the Uffizi. — **Upstream**The Arno through a tall window in the afternoon.

The Piazzale degli Uffizi seen from a gallery window, the Palazzo Vecchio tower closing the view. — **Down into the courtyard**The Piazzale degli Uffizi from a gallery window, the Palazzo Vecchio tower closing the view.

A dying Niobid lying before a window that looks out over the Oltrarno rooftops. — **Marble and rooftops**A dying Niobid lying in front of a window that looks out over the Oltrarno.

The balustrade of the Uffizi terrace above the Loggia dei Lanzi, with the Duomo rising beyond the rooftops. — **The terrace**The balustrade above the Loggia dei Lanzi with the Duomo beyond the roofs. The terrace comes with the ticket and most people never find it.

The Palazzo Vecchio and its tower seen from the Uffizi terrace. — **The tower across the roofs**The Palazzo Vecchio from the terrace, close enough to read the crenellation.

A coffered ceiling on the Uffizi terrace above the Loggia dei Lanzi. — **Coffering above**The ceiling over the terrace on top of the Loggia dei Lanzi.

A stairwell vault in the Uffizi carrying the pale outline of a window shape in its plaster. — **A shape in the plaster**A stairwell vault carrying the pale outline of a window opening that is no longer there.

An inscribed plaque mounted on the stairwell wall below the vault. — **The plaque below**An inscribed plaque on the same stairwell wall. What it commemorates has not been read off the stone, so we are not saying.

Live Prices & Availability

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the building a separate ticket?

No. The corridors, the Tribuna, the Niobe Room, the Cabinet of Ancient Marbles and the terrace are all inside the ordinary Uffizi ticket. The Vasari Corridor is the exception and is priced separately.

Can you walk the Vasari Corridor?

It is open to visitors again and ticketed apart from the gallery, on its own timed entries. Check availability on uffizi.it before you plan a day around it.

Where is the terrace?

On the upper floor at the south end, on top of the Loggia dei Lanzi, with a cafe attached. The view takes in the Palazzo Vecchio tower one way and the Duomo the other.

Which rooms are worth slowing down in?

The Tribuna, the Sala della Niobe, the Cabinet of Ancient Marbles, and any single bay of the painted corridor ceilings. None of them are on the standard highlight route, which is exactly why they are quiet.

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