Since July 2014 in Italy you can visit a lot of museums for free. Every first Sunday of the month the entrance in Italy's state museums is free, so that everyone can enjoy art and culture. This decision was made by the current Italian Minister of Culture and Tourism, Dario Franceschini. Especially Tuscany has plenty of museums and culture to offer.
FLORENCE
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| Uffizi Gallery in Florence |
In Florence you can visit the Uffizi Gallery, the largest museum in Italy and the most important art museum of Florence. Here you find "the Birth of Venus" by Botticelli and other masterpieces by Rubens, Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Leonardo da Vinci. In the Uffizi Museum you can admire over 1000 masterpieces. There are 45 rooms and the collections are chronologically ordered from the 13th to the 18th century. Don't be put off by the long queues because this museum is really worthwhile.
Also the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence is a must. In this museum you can admire the world famous David by Michelangelo, but also some unfinished sculptures by Michelangelo, which gives you an insight in how the artist proceeded. In addition to the wonderful works of Michelangelo, there are more pieces of art by several famous artists.
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| Palazzo Pitti (photo Giovanni dall'Orto) |
Palazzo Pitti is a Renaissance building formerly owned by the de' Medici family, which is now a museum. Several collections are exhibited here, such as modern art, costumes, porcelain, carriages and more. Make sure to visit the beautiful gardens of Palazzo Pitti, the Boboli Gardens, much appreciated by Italians and foreign tourists.
The first Sunday of April 2015 is Easter, and this year the city of Florence offers an extra day of free access to museums on Easter Monday.
SIENA
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| Pinacoteca Nazionale in Siena (photo Combusken) |
If you're near Siena on a first Sunday of the month, you should visit the Pinacoteca Nazionale. This museum has many paintings of the Senese school but also beautiful pieces by Flemish and Dutch painters mainly from the period between the 14th and the 17th century.
PISA
In Pisa you can visit the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo, a former monastery of the 13th century which houses valuable Tuscan artworks. You can admire works of Giovanni (Nino) and Andrea Pisano and Simone Martini.
Recently a new hall was inaugurated with works by Flemish masters, among whom a painting by Quinten Metsys, Madonna Addolorata. This painting, along with 11 other masterpieces, had been stolen in 2003 from the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo and last year it was found in Lucca.
AREZZO
In Arezzo the following museums are worth visiting. Casa Vasari, the home of the famous artist Giorgio Vasari, who was born in Arezzo. Here you can admire beautiful wall paintings. Another interesting museum is the National Museum for Modern and Medieval art with sculptures and paintings by Italian artists. The Basilica of Saint Francis has beautiful frescoes by Piero Della Francesca. Here you can admire the world famous sequence of frescoes known as "the Legend of the True Cross".
You can have a look at the list of all State museums in Tuscany here.
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