Palazzo Vecchio and Uffizi Gallery tour through the Vasari Corridor overpass

After 150 years the passageway from Palazzo Vecchio to the Uffizi Gallery has been reopened: a covered overpass between the two buildings which is the first section of the Vasari Corridor, commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici and realized by Giorgio Vasari in 1565.The Vasari Corridor, which runs in the heart of the city's historic center, allowed the Medici family to safely move, without mixing with the crowd, from Palazzo Vecchio – the seat of Florence Government – to the administrative and legal offices (Uffizi) and, crossing the Arno river, to the splendid residence of Palazzo Pitti. Then, over the years, Francesco I, son of Cosimo de' Medici, designated part of the Uffizi to his own private gallery, laying the foundations for its progressive conversion into one of the most famous museums in the world. The entire path through the palaces and the corridor is called the Path of the Prince.During the tour, an expert guide will first introduce you to Palazzo Vecchio and its elegant interiors. The palace, built during the Middle-Ages, still preserves the austere architecture of the fourteenth century, with its crenellated top that surrounds the imposing Arnolfo’s Tower. You will admire the charming Michelozzo courtyard, the famous Hall of the 500, the intimate study of Francesco I de' Medici, the beautiful private apartments of Eleonora of Toledo and Cosimo I de' Medici and the sumptuous and stunning boardrooms, in an incredible series of frescoes, paintings, decorations and statues of the greatest Renaissance artists as Michelangelo, Donatello, Verrocchio, Vasari, Ghirlandaio and Bronzino.Then, passing over the covered bridge connecting the two buildings, through the first part of the Vasari Corridor, you will access directly to the Uffizi Gallery.Here you can admire numerous works of art deriving from the private Medici collection: Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, Giotto, Cimabue and Masaccio are just some of the many famous artists whose masterpieces inhabit the museum. Hold your breath in front of 'Primavera' and 'The Birth of Venus' and satisfy your curiosity about the Medici family and the time when they ruled the world.The guided tour ends at the Uffizi terrace, where you can enjoy an amazing and exclusive view of the city’s most important monuments. Once the guided tour is over, it is possible to stay inside the museum.