Amici degli Uffizi / Friends of the Uffizi Firenze, Italia / Florence, Italy

Amici degli Uffizi is a membership to the state museums of Florence.  The money raised for the membership is used to restore and maintain the artwork.  For a single person, the membership cost is 60 euro; for a family of up to four, the cost is 100 euro; and for a student under the age of 26, the cost is 40 euro for a calendar year membership. At an average museum entrance fee of 10 to 15 euros, it takes only a handful of visits to the museum before your Friends of the Uffizi membership pays for itself. If you live in Florence or nearby, you will definitely get your money's worth.  If you plan to be on vacation for longer than even a few days in Florence -- well, you do the math. 

Your membership buys you unlimited entrance to the state museums in Florence:

• Uffizi Gallery
• Accademia Gallery
• The Pitti Palace (several different museums within the Pitti with individual admissions)
• Bargello Museum (one of my favorite museums)
• Museum of  the Medici Chapels
• Museum of Palazzo Davanzati
• Museum of San Marco
• Garden of the Medici Villa of Costello
• Medici Villa of Petraia
• Medici Villa of Poggio a Caiano
• Medici Villa of Cerreto Guidi & Historical Hunting and Territorial Museum
• Cenacoli of Ognisanti, Andrea del Sarto, Fuligno, and Sant'Apollonia
• Cloister of the Scalzo
• Church and museum of Orsanmichele
• Boboli Gardens
• Bardini Gardens

Only at two museums in Florence does everyone who knows advise paying the additional 4,50 euro reservation fee for a designated entrance time, which saves you from waiting in line a few hours. With your membership, you walk to the appropriate door and get your ticket and enter when you want, no reservation necessary.  

Go to the Friends of the Uffizi office at the Uffizi Museum or go to the website to buy your membership.

Two wonderful gardens in Florence are included in the membership:  Boboli and Bardini.  Both are literally in my backyard, only a few steps from my home.  Oh, and up that steep hill behind my house. I can enter either of the two gardens.  Great news for me, as I spend too many hours in front of my computer, and yet I crave sunlight, greenery, and the outdoors.

I share with you the info, but please don't take my bench.

My seat to enjoy the surrounding beauty, especially as the days get warmer and longer.

The Grotto, Boboli Gardens

No surprise, perhaps, that I bought for myself an amazing gift at the turn of the new year.  Now, with membership card in hand, I can pop into a museum to see a particular painting, room, or exhibit as I fancy.  Or visit the two gardens.  I can return again and again to my heart's content.  And I will.  Look for me sitting on the bench pictured above.

La Befana and Gregorian Chant Concert

Today is another religious holiday and officially marks the end of the Christmas season.  The holiday is Epiphany.  In Italy, the holiday is known as La Befana. The witch with a bag of coal will grace some of us if we've been bad in the past year; otherwise, we receive some little gifts of goodies. I am happy to move on and forward into 2012. 

Next Monday most businesses and schools will resume their regular work hours. But today is definitely a holiday here, which means the streets are extra crowded with people.  While out for our morning walk, Mabel and I had to work our way around what felt like a gauntlet of baby buggies drag racing. There is an abundance of strollers out there today.  Do not think speed, however; I place emphasis on the word "drag" as opposed to "race."

A View of Florence from Above

San Miniato al Monte

Up the hill and overlooking Florence at Piazzale Michelangelo is the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte where there is a special Gregorian chant concert in honor of the holiday.  I will learn later that the information previously emailed to me provided the incorrect time for the Gregorian chant; and it will turn out that my friend and I will arrive at the church as the chanting is nearly complete.  We will have enjoyed only some of the chanting but much of the art in this church -- from the painted wood beam ceilings to the paintings and freschi on the walls, the sculptured tombs, and the zodiac mosaic floor, as well as the always breathtaking views from above the city.

Speaking of breathtaking, no more bated breath waiting for the onslaught of tourists to abate, I can resume normal breathing as the holiday season is officially over and things go back to normal.  


New year/new beginnings.

Art and Yoga in Florence, Italy

What attracts me most to the sculpture Costellazione (constellation) in front of Palazzo Pitti is the apparent yoga asana (pose, posture) she is in, Tarasana (star pose).  Tarasana is a grounding pose, allowing us to internalize our awareness.  

Whether accidental or intentional by the artist, the similarity to the asana, the name of the sculpture, the diamond/star shapes in her body paint, I do not know. Actually, I do not believe in accidents nor coincidences. Everything happens for a reason, and, no matter our perception, it happens for our own good.  

The Roman-born artist Rabarama, also known as Paola Epifani, currently has several sculptures on display throughout Florence, Italy. 

Self-portraits

Autoritratto translates to self-portrait.  Through January 30, 2011, a rare and interesting art exhibition is going on at the Galleria degli Uffizzi, Sala delle Reali Poste, in Florence, Italy, called "Autoritratte: Artiste di Capriccioso e Destrissimo Ingeno," (Women Artists of Wit and Great Ingenuity).  It is a collection of sixty women artists' self-portraits ranging from the 16th century to present day. The Uffizi Gallery has a collection of 1,700 self-portraits. Only 100 are by women artists.  Entrance is gratis.

Will you see the exhibit?