Posted by The museum Accademia in Florence is an art museum of the extra class. Like the Uffizi Museum, only a few hundred metres away, it is one of the top 10 art museums in the world. Many visitors come to the Accademia Museum because of a single work of art: it is the statue of David by Michelangelo, probably the most famous statue in the world. But in the Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze (full name of the museum) there are many other world famous works of art. This article provides all information for visitors.
|
Tickets Accademia Gallery 2024 Florence If you buy the tickets at the ticket office at the museum, you risk queueing for hours. There is certainly more to do in a holiday than waiting in a line. Therefore, we think it makes much sense to buy the tickets in advance on the internet. |
The amount of people is enormous at certain times of day and seasons. Even in winter there is often a queue in front of the entrance to the Accademia Gallery in the centre of Florence. The Accademia is a very old museum of art. The exhibition has existed since 1563 and today it is an important art academy. Many famous painters and sculptors of the world were students here.
Opening hours Gallery Accademia Florence (2024)
The opening hours of the Accademia in Florence are from 8:15 to 18:50.
Caution, despite the large crowd, the Galleria dell’Accademia is always closed on Mondays even in summer!
Also on some important holidays like New Year, Christmas and Labour Day (1.5.) the Accademia Gallery Florence has no opening hours.
If you really want to come without a ticket, try early in the morning. But even then you queue often for hours.
Location of the Galleria Accademia
The famous art gallery is located about 500 meters north of the center. You don’t have to take a bus until you find the right bus, you are there on foot. Some small signposts (see picture) in the city point to the museum.
You probably first will see the long queues at the entrance. The Accademia Florence is in a small side street. The building does not necessarily give the impression that it is one of the most important art museums of Italy.
>>> Click here to get tickets for the Accademia Gallery online
The David of Michelangelo, the great sight
At a central location in the Galleria dell’Accademia stands the most famous sculpture in the history of art. The David by Michelangelo is over 5 metres tall and weighs about 6 tonnes. The statue depicts David from the Bible who fought against Goliath and won despite his physical inferiority. He has a slingshot and holds a stone in his hand. Perhaps the most famous artist in the world, Michelangelo produced the most famous sculpture in the world between 1501 and 1504, which for long time stood on the Signoria square in the city near Palazzo Vecchio in the city centre of Florence. For security reasons, it came to the Accademia Museum around 1873. David got an extra room under a chic dome. Michelangelo’s David still stands there today. On the square in the centre of Florence there is now a copy of the work of art. By the way, Michelangelo made his David in a workshop in Florence next to the cathedral. Today, the cathedral museum in Florence is located there, which is also worth seeing.
Copy of David in the city of Florence
There is always a large gathering of people in the Accademia Florence in front of David. We had the feeling that most visitors of the museum come only because of this piece of art.
360 degree Video David at the Accademia Florence (Virtual Reality)
After starting the video, you can rotate the video with the mouse (up and down, left and right). You can also see other works of art by Michelangelo (the slaves).
More artworks in the gallery Accademia in Florence
After entering the Accademia Museum, you quickly arrive at the most important room in the ground floor. You can see several famous sculptures by Michelangelo representing slaves. But almost all the visitors look at the huge David at the end of the room. It is not only the most famous work of art in the museum, but also by far the largest sculpture in the exhibition.
In approximately 10 other rooms in the Accademia Florence you can see hundreds more works of art. A large part are sculptures, but there are also many paintings. We also liked a work of art from the early 14th century, the painting “Tree of Life” by Pacino di Bonaguida. The museum Accademia is also important because of the large number of known works of art, also from epochs far after the Renaissance.
We really liked the signage in the museum Accademia. Almost every work of art has a sign with name, artist, year and a very good description in several sentences. All museums should do that! Most visitors are normal people, who can do much about art.
|
Tickets Accademia Gallery Florence If you buy the tickets at the ticket office at the museum, you risk queueing for hours. There is certainly more to do in a holiday than waiting in a line. Therefore, we think it makes much sense to buy the tickets in advance on the internet. |
General Info Gallery Accademia Florence
Floors: Most works of art are on the ground floor. There is less exhibition space on the first floor than on the lower level..
Taking pictures: Photographing with flash is strictly forbidden. Selfie-Sticks and the like are not allowed as far as we know. Everywhere in the museum there is staff who makes sure that these rules and other regulations are observed.
Checks at the entrance: You are checked at the entrance of the Galleria dell’Accademia like at the airport (metal detector, etc.). I had to hand in my pocket knife and got it back after my visit of the museum. Drinks, except a maximum of half a litre of water, are not allowed. Otherwise, according to our impression, smaller bags and backpacks are ok. These are illuminated at the entrance.
Toilets and disabled access: There are good toilets in the basement of the Accademia Gallery. There is also a disabled WC, lifts and stair lifts. Disabled people in wheelchairs should be able to view all areas of the museum.
Bookstore: There is a bookstore in the museum with a wide selection of books about Florence, the Accademia Museum, Michelangelo, the sculpture David and so on.
Audio device: You can borrow an audio guide at the Galleria dell’Accademia. This is highly recommended for any visitor who wants to see more than just Michelangelo’s David. The pictures and sculptures have numbers that can be typed into the audio device. Then you get detailed information. The audio guides cost 6 Euro. There are audio guides in German, English, Italian, Spanish, French and Japanese.
Name in English and Italian
In Italian, the famous Academy Gallery Florence is called “Accademia di Belle Arti” (literally translated “Academy of Fine Arts”) or Galleria dell’Accademia. In English sometimes: “Academy of fine arts of Florence”.
>>> Click here to get tickets for the Accademia Gallery online