Accademia Gallery Florence

Purchase your Accademia Gallery tickets with Weekend in Italy! Located in the heart of Florence, the Accademia Gallery hosts examples of paintings and sculptures by the great 14th and 15th century masters who made Florence the capital of art. The most famous work exhibited is undoubtedly the marble statue of David made by Michelangelo. Also on view at the Accademia Gallery Florence are some of Michelangelo's partly unfinished works, including the Slaves. Buy your Accademia Gallery tickets in advance and avoid waiting in line!

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IMPORTANT NOTE: The time you select on the order form is your preferred time. The closest available time, which can be anytime during opening hours on the selected date, will be automatically confirmed if your preferred time is no longer available.

The Accademia Gallery:
Located in the heart of the city, the Accademia Gallery hosts examples of paintings and sculptures by the great 14th and 15th century masters who made Florence the capital of art.

Founded in 1784 upon Grand Duke Leopoldo of Lorena's decree, La Galleria dell'Accademia was created to host a collection of antique and modern paintings and sculptures so the students of the nearby Accademia di Belle Arti could pursue their studies in the light of these great masterworks. The Accademia Gallery is situated in parts of the former convent San Niccolò in Cafaggio and the hospice of San Matteo.

In 1873 Michelangelo's David was transferred here to save it from the erosion of time and weather. In 1882 Michelangelo's masterpiece found its position in the Tribuna del David specially created by Emilio de' Fabris.

Through time the Accademia Gallery became famous for its collection of sculptures by Michelangelo. The collection is enriched by paintings and sculptures by other artists who made Florence one of the most important capitals of art. Around 1980, a Gipsoteca (collection of sculptures), located in the Salone dell'Ottocento (19th century hall), was added to the Accademia Gallery. The Accademia Gallery is situated on two floors of which the ground floor is certainly the most famous and admired.

The Accademia Gallery visit begins with the Sala dell'Anticolosso, where the gesso original of The Rape of the Sabines (1582) by Giambologna is placed. Some paintings such as Christ of Pity by Andrea del Sarto and the Deposition of the Cross by Filippo Lippi can be seen here. From here you reach the Galleria dei Prigioni, a corridor that hosts a series of incomplete sculptures by Michelangelo. The visitor is invited to experience the emotional impact of these sculptures that seemingly burst forth from the stone, liberated by the hand of the great artist. Among these sculptures note the famous Pietà da Palestrina, which arrived at the Accademia Gallery in 1940. The artwork seems disproportionate in its dimensions, so much so that the ascription to Michelangelo is questioned by some.

At the end of the gallery reigns supreme Michelangelo's David. Commissioned in 1501 by the Florentine Republic, Michelangelo's statue was first placed in the Piazza della Signoria, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, as a symbol of liberty. The David represents the young biblical hero in the moment he gathers his powers to defeat the giant Goliath. Michelangelo, who at the time was just 25 years of age was paid 400 scudi for this work of art. He used a marble block already reduced to poor condition by other artists. From this marble came one of the greatest masterpieces of civilization, a representation of the Renaissance ideal of the free man, maker of his own destiny.

Examples of 16th century Florentine art are placed in the two lateral wings of the tribune: religious paintings such as the Disputa sull'Immacolata Concezione (The Dispute of the Immaculate Conception) by Carlo Portelli. At the end of the left wing of the tribune of Michelangelo's David is the Gipsoteca dedicated to Lorenzo Bartolini (1777- 1850), in the Salone dell'Ottocento (19th century hall). The galleria dei gessi was opened to the public in 1985. Revealing the portraitist Bartolini's great skill are about 300 busts representing the Florentine upper middle class. The mythological theme is richly and beautifully illustrated: Voto dell'Innocenza (The Vote of Innocence), Venus, and others.

The ground-floor visit ends with the Sale Bizantine (Byzantine Halls) where examples of 14th century Florentine painting are gathered. As you enter the first of the three halls, L'Albero della Vita (The Tree of Life) by Pacino di Bonaguida draws your attention. It is an illustration of Bonaventura's literary text Lignum Vitae, retelling scenes of the life of Jesus and stories from the Genesis. In the second hall the Formelle (panels) painted by Taddeo Gaddi around 1330 to decorate the reliquary shrine of the Basilica of Santa Croce. The final hall is dedicated to Andrea, Nardo and Jacopo di Cione, the three Orcagna brothers, whose sacred paintings are expressions of the Florentine 14th century.

The four halls of the second floor were opened to the public in 1985. The first of them hosts the paintings by Giovanni da Milano and by other Florentine painters. In the second hall, examples of paintings from the second half of the 14th century are gathered including the bright and somber colors of Andrea Orcagna. The third hall hosts a selection of art works by Lorenzo Monaco (1370-1423), famous painter and miniaturist. The fourth and last hall gathers examples of Florentine late-Gothic paintings through the illustrations of Lorenzo Monaco and of the International Gothic with Gherardo Starnina and other contemporaries.

• The ticket must be kept for the duration of the visit. 
• Please note that for safety reasons access is granted after checking through the metal detector where knives and/or objects will be retained if they are considered dangerous. It is also forbidden to enter the gallery armed (even if equipped with a regular weapons license).
• No animals of any kind are allowed, with the exception of guide dogs for the blind, service dogs for assistance to the disabled and domestic support animals for therapeutic treatment (pet therapy) with certifications issued by physicians of public health facilities.
• Visitors who are less than 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult.
• Because the gallery does not provide wardrobe services, visitors are not allowed access carrying luggage, large backpacks, helmets, and any other bulky object greater than 40x30x18 cm.
• Mobile phones must be switched off or at least put in silent mode.

The following activities are prohibited inside the gallery:

• Smoking (including electronic cigarettes)
• Flash photography, as well as using a selfie stick and tripod or bulky equipment
• Introducing beverages of any kind (including cans or glass bottles) except water in plastic bottles in quantities not exceeding 0.5 l
• Consuming food throughout the museum route
• Sitting on floors or stairs
• Introducing non-resealable umbrellas that must be deposited in the umbrella holders
• Conduct that endangers the safety of works or other visitors
• Touching artworks or bringing objects that could damage them
• Writing or drawing on the walls
• Drawing using watercolors, markers, chalk or other materials except for pencils or digital media
• Leaving waste anywhere but in the specially provided containers present at the bookshop and at the exit
• Leaning on the pedestals of the sculptures and on the walls, standing on benches and chairs
• Running in museum environments
• Screaming or using a loud tone of voice
• Not respecting the museum signs and the indications of the staff 
• Wearing inappropriate clothing (such as swimsuits, skimpy clothes, etc.)
• Being shirtless or barefoot
• Displaying inappropriate behavior (such as combing oneself or putting on makeup, changing shoes, changing diapers of children, etc.)

In each room, there is a museum assistant, identifiable by tag and uniform, which is responsible for enforcing this regulation and the safety of the exhibited works and of the people present. If necessary, the supervisory staff is allowed to intervene and remove those who, with their behavior, endanger the safety of the works or disturb the other visitors.

Behavior in case of an emergency:
In case of alarm and/or emergency, visitors must follow the signs and indications of the staff of the room. In case of evacuation, all visitors must proceed in an orderly way, following the instructions of the staff.
 

Each group may not exceed

• 25 people in the period from October to February
• 20 people in the period from March to September 

Within the Accademia Gallery, exercising the profession of tourist guide is exclusively reserved for guides authorized according to the regulations in force. Guides must never forget that they are guests and must display behavior that reflects this condition.

With effect from February 1, 2019, in order to keep the climate inside the museum as silent and respectful as possible, it is compulsory for groups, even for school groups, starting from eight (8) persons guide included, to equip themselves with wireless audio guide systems (Whisper system). In case they are not provided by the tour organizer, they are available for rent inside the museum. This provision excludes the following:

• Children until the end of elementary school
• Persons with disabilities 
• Institutional visits
• School groups on visits assisted by the teaching department of the Galleria dell'Accademia Florence
• Groups authorized by the management of the gallery introduced for research reasons by universities
• Groups following didactic models based on the dialogue between the participants, upon specific authorization by the management of the gallery after reasoned request presented with reasonable advance with respect to the visit

It is prohibited to use laser pointers to indicate the works.

Public and private schools of the European Union:
The European Union's public and private schools have free admission to the state museums of Florence after booking directly through the official dealer.
 

Make the most of your visit to the Accademia Gallery – book your Accademia Gallery audio guide, after choosing the date, time, and number of tickets for your visit to the Accademia Gallery! The Accademia Gallery is one of the richest museums in the world, with some of the greatest artistic treasures of mankind on view. Make sure you don't miss important works of art, and supplement what you know with the audio guide's insightful commentary.

Audio guides are available in Italian, English, French, German, and Spanish.

The audio guided visit has a complete duration of 75 minutes and includes a selection of the most important works of art in the Gallery. To learn more about the works of art on view, choose the desired room and listen to the explanation of selected works in that room.

You will receive a confirmation voucher (valid only for the audio guide) together with the confirmation voucher for your visit to the museum. In order to pick up the audio guide, please deposit this voucher at the Audio Guides Desk – at the bookshop opposite the ticket booth – along with a valid identity document (passports, identity cards or driver's license – only originals are accepted).

In case of loss or failure to return the audio guide, visitors will be requested to pay the cost (€ 250.00 per each audio guide).

Tuesday to Sunday: 8:15 to 18:50; closed on Monday.
Extraordinary night openings:

• every Tuesday and Thursday from June 4 to September 26, from 7pm to 10pm (last bookable admission bookable: 8:30pm)

Full Price

Reduced Price:

European Union citizens aged 18 to 25

Free tickets:

Children under 18 years old from any country

Children under 12 (must be accompanied by an adult)

Tourist guides and interpreters (accompanying a group), with official documentation

ICOM members

Students/scholars of all nationalities may apply for special research permits for a limited period.

Free admission the first Sunday of every month

Schools:

Italian and European school groups accompanied by their teachers, with official authorization from the school and with an advance booking made directly with the museum.

PLEASE NOTE:

Service fees (pre-sale and online booking fees), as well as fees for temporary exhibitions happening during your visit are due for ANY KIND OF TICKET as well as for free admission days.

When picking up a reduced or free ticket, you will be asked for a document proving your right to the price reduction. Entrance will be denied without it.

Once a confirmation code has been assigned to your reservation, we can refund the cost of unused tickets, also for no-shows, minus a service fee (reservation fee and online booking fee).