Purchase of Amici degli Uffizi card for my wife and myself

P

Philip

New member
Lourdes,
First of all thank you for your helpful comments which have encouraged me to purchase a family Amici degli Uffizi card for my wife and myself.
We hope to be based in Florence for some 10 days, so the attraction of having a few visits to some of the museums is very compelling.
My question however for you, Lourdes, or for that matter from anyone with experience in this matter, is whether you recommend to purchase the ticket online providing our addresses abroad inorder to have the card sent?
As i wrote we wont be arriving in Florence for at least two and half months, can we rely on the card being sent?

One more point, with this card, is it certain that we will be free from queueing up outside the various museums.

Thanks so much for your help.

Philip
 
Vasari Corridor

I was reading about the Vasari Corridor and the amazing works of arts along the one kilometer corridor, I was wondering how one can tour the corridor for a reasonable price ( for something way less than 60 Euros). There was a suggestion on the net, that one can ring from abroad to 39-055294883 and that with an Amici degli uffizi card, the cost for a tour is just a 4 Euro reservation fee.

Thanks for your help.

Philip
 
Ciao Philip,

Just wait and buy it once you're here. You can definitely buy it and have it sent my mail or buy it and just pick it up here, but there is no reason to buy it before. There is never a line in the office, you get the card in a matter of minutes after filling out a form and paying... and then you can go right in, skipping any line there is outside (there might be a short line inside).

As far as the Vasari Corridor goes - what you have read would work only when the Uffizi themselves organize "special openings". They have in the past but nothing for the last two years. Generally they will do the special openings for a few days a week for a month or two. I was lucky to get a chance to do it this way about 5 years ago because the spots were SOLD OUT for the entire time they were organized in the first week that they announced them. In that case, you paid the entrance to the Uffizi plus the 4 euro for the reservation so it was cheap - but again, this is only when special openings are organized by the museum. At the moment, the ONLY way to visit the Vasari Corridor is through external tour agencies that organize maximum size groups to pay for the staff people required to open up the Corridor - the cheapest I've seen is the 65 euro tour offered through Viator here:
http://www.partner.viator.com/en/13618/travel-tips/Visit-the-Vasari-Corridor/ttd

To be fully honest, I think the fact that it is "exclusive" and accessed by few fuels its popularity. While it IS neat to see the view from up there since it is unique, the tour is quick and the corridors are lined with self-portraits. You don't get a chance to stop and really enjoy the artworks, aside from the ones pointed out by the tour guide. It is my opinion that no solution has been found to open it up to the public because for now, it continues to be "convenient" that it is only visited in this manner. A visit to the Vasari Corridor is a "must" if you love history and are into the Medici family and its history, I think in that case you appreciate it even more ;-). Then the 65 euros are worth spending.
 
P.S. if you love art but aren't an expert, I think doing tours of the museums with a tour guide is an excellent investment! You get a quick history lesson as the art works are placed into context in the era they were commissioned and painted in, their importance in the history of art as well as their meanings beyond their whether they appeal to you or not. This is an excellent way of learning about Florence and its history without having to study history or art :D
 
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