Visit the Academy Gallery in Florence: tickets, prices, schedules

Are you going to Florence? Enjoy it to visit the Academy Gallery, one of the city’s must-see museums!

La Galerie de l’Académie, Galleria dell’Accademia in Italian, is a real must in the city of Florence. It is also the fourth most visited museum in Italy. He is renowned in the world for his number of works of art from the Academy of Drawing of Florence and the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence, such as the famous sculpture of David by Michelangelo. In addition to Michelangelo, other great Italian Renaissance artists are exhibited in the gallery such as Sandro Botticelli, Paolo Uccello, Le Pérugin or Filippino Lippi. Let's start the visit!

History of the Academy Gallery

The history of the gallery began in 1784 with a decree supported by the Granduc Leopold I of Tuscany (also known as Leopold II, Emperor of the Holy Empire) following the reorganization of the Academy of Drawing of Florence, founded in 1565 by Cosme I of Tuscany. The objective of Leopold I was to gather antique and modern paintings but also sculptures to facilitate the cultural enrichment of students of the Academy of Fine Arts.

Installed first on the Piazza Signoria , she moved to her current building in 1873. Michelangelo's David will move the same year, leaving his location in the same year Palazzo Vecchio . Since recently, the museum has also hosted musical works thanks to the addition of a course: the Museum of Instruments. There are mainly instruments from the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory but also from the collection of Medical and Lorraine.

Our advice to visit the Gallery of the Academy

Les Salles Florentines

This may be the place not to be missed. The Florentine Rooms contain magnificent paintings including The Deposition , which was started by Filippino Lippi and ended by Pietro Perugino, after the death of Lippi, or the Venus and Cupid Iacopo Pontormo.

Long queues

To organize your visit, it is imperative to arrive as soon as possible. Indeed, every day the queue is endless and it is possible to wait several hours before entering.

The cut-file option

You can avoid queues by opting for the cut-file ticket. The latter offers you access to a guided tour (audioguide included) of 1h focused on the works of Michelangelo like David, Prisoners or Saint-Mathieu .

Visit the Academy Gallery with an audioguide

During your visit, you can use an audioguide to discover the secrets of each work and artist. Audioguide is available in French, English, Italian, Spanish, German, Japanese and Russian at the price of 6€ (10€ for 2 people) . Audioguides are frequent in visits to Italy and are usually a very well provided support.

Respect dress code

In Italy, during a visit to a museum or a place of worship, it is to wear appropriate clothing . So make sure you do wear clothes that cover your knees and shoulders . Otherwise, you will not be allowed access. The Italians are intransigent on this point.

What do you see during a visit to the Academy Gallery?

First, architecture is already an essential element. Do not forget to lift your eyes and look around you to enjoy the monument.

It is impossible not to talk about the museum without talking about Michelangelo. You can discover the most famous works of the Florentine sculptor. But be careful not to ignore the works of other artists. For example, you can contemplate The Virgin to the Child with two angels and John the Baptist from Botticelli, The Bahamas Paolo Uccello or La Maria Maddalena Lippi.

Visit by route

In the museum you will be offered to follow different routes:

• The path of sculptures
• The paintings of the 13th and 14th centuries
• The paintings of the 15th century
• The Museum of Instruments of Florence
• The paintings of the 16th century

We advise you to visit the Academy Gallery by following these courses to help you follow. The visit of this museum can last for hours so there are things to admire. A chronology will allow you, even after several hours, to understand the different historical and artistic contexts of the works.

In order to diversify your visit, you will have the opportunity to head to the Museum of Instruments of Florence, a musical part of the gallery, which will immerse you in a part of the heritage of the Medici and Lorraine. The Medici will however be omnipresent during your visit as their influence in Florentine city-city, but also throughout Europe, was significant.

How much does a ticket cost to the Academy Gallery?

It is possible to buy your ticket online, by phone or on site. There are several tickets:

• The adult ticket: 12€
• The young ticket: 2€: for all residents of the European Union aged 12 to 25 (subject to a valid identity document)
• Free access: for all minor persons (children under the age of 12 years are obliged to be accompanied), persons from a EU member country with disabilities, school groups from a EU member country
• Audioguides: offered at a price of 6€ (10€ for a duo device)

Good plan: You can visit the Gallery of the Academy free every first Sunday of the month between October and March .

How do I book an online ticket for the Academy Gallery?

To book an online ticket, you must visit the B-ticket National Museums website. You can also visit the Gallery of the Academy free thanks to the Medici Bundle or Firenzecard .

If you opt for a guided tour or a line ticket, visit the official sites of tour and activity organizations. On-line, they are many to offer different tickets, regardless of the preferred options.

Are there visits combined with other locations?

Two solutions of combined visits are available to you:

• : which allows you to visit 78 different places. The Firenzecard+ option also offers you access to public transport in the city
• : which includes a skipper ticket for the Office Gallery, a skip-line ticket for the Academy Gallery & a ticket for the Hop-on Hop-off bus

Schedule

You can visit the Academy Gallery:

• From Tuesday to Sunday: from 8:15 to 6:50
• At night: every Tuesday and Thursday, June 4 to September 26, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• Closures: Monday, January 1, December 25

How to access the Academy Gallery?

To go to the Academy Gallery, several means of transport are available:

• By bus: down to Piazza San Marco, served by 16 lines (including lines 1, 10 or C1) and then walk 550 meters
• Via the tram: down to Unità station, served by line T2
• On foot: if you are already in the heart of the city, you can organize a tour and enjoy the various tourist places around the museum
• By train: if you come from outside the city. In this case, stop at San Marco Vecchio station, then take the bus to Piazza San Marco

Where to stay near the Academy Gallery?

The Academy Gallery is located in the San Marco district, near the Arno and Ponte Vecchio. It will fill culture and architecture lovers. The historic centre is also close to the museum. These two neighborhoods are full of hotels. Don’t hesitate to call a Compare hotels to find the hotel that will match your criteria.

However, if you want to stay in an authentic place, you will also find accommodation Airbnb in the two neighborhoods, but also in the rest of the city.