Galleria Palatina

About the museum

The Galleria Palatina occupies, together with the Royal Apartments, the entire first floor of Palazzo Pitti, residence of the Medici, then of the Lorraine and finally of the Savoy, who hosted the King of Italy there from 1865 to 1919. The palace, bought in 1550 by Cosimo I de' Medici and Eleonora di Toledo, takes its name from the Florentine banker Luca Pitti, who began its construction in the mid-15th century.

The gallery was created between the late 18th and the early decades of the 19th century by the Lorraine, who hung around five hundred masterpieces chosen from the main Medici collections in the reception rooms. The paintings, in rich frames, cover the walls up to the ceiling in the manner of seventeenth-century galleries and are accompanied by sculptures, vases and tables inlaid with hard stones.

The collection includes the largest concentration in the world of works by Raphael, as well as masterpieces by Titian, Tintoretto, Caravaggio and Rubens. Adding to the charm of the rooms is the cycle of frescoes by Pietro da Cortona in the Sale dei Pianeti, executed between 1640 and 1647 for Grand Duke Ferdinando II de' Medici.

Highlights

• Madonna della Seggiola and La velata by Raphael
• Il Concerto and La Bella by Titian
• Maddalena by Artemisia Gentileschi
• Frescoes by Pietro da Cortona in the Sale dei Pianeti
• Paintings in rich frames, furnishings and tables inlaid with hard stones

Permanent exhibition

• Collezione della Galleria Palatina – About 500 paintings from the Medici collection in the reception rooms of Palazzo Pitti, with the richest collection of works by Raphael.

Founded

1828

Operated by

Gallerie degli Uffizi

Visitors per year

approx. 777,219

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of the month (Domenica al museo).

The Palazzo Pitti ticket covers the Galleria Palatina, the Galleria d'arte moderna, the Museo della Moda e del Costume, the Tesoro dei Granduchi, the Museo delle Icone russe and the Cappella Palatina. Online tickets at tickets.uffizi.it or by calling the call centre on 800 615 615. Free also for scholars, university students and teachers, guides, journalists on the official register, ICOM members and Ministry of Culture staff.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The entrance from Piazza dei Pitti has a 20% gradient; the lift to the right of the courtyard serves the floors. Accessible toilets in the courtyard. Priority entry for visitors with disabilities; wheelchairs and walkers can be hired. Full information on the accessibility page of the Uffizi museums.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Baby changing facilities

The Uffizi Kids project offers activities for children, teenagers and families, including self-guided routes. In Palazzo Pitti there is a nursing and changing room in the basement, on the right side of the courtyard.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located in Piazza dei Pitti, in the Oltrarno, on the left bank of the Arno.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check

Café to the right of the courtyard (closes at 19:00 from September to May, at 20:00 from June to August); bookshops in the courtyard and on the first floor. Free cloakroom with ID: umbrellas, bulky bags and backpacks must be left there.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit