Virtual Tour of Florence’s Famed Uffizi Gallery Lets You Explore the Museum Online

Today, an increasing number of cultural institutions across the globe are finding new ways to digitally attract and educate audiences. From 3D scans of sculptures to free art books, many arts organizations now provide free online resources to the public. In addition to research tools, however, some museums have taken this digitization trend to the next level by offering exclusive virtual tours of their premises and permanent collections through their websites, with Florence’s famed Uffizi Gallery as a recent recruit.

Available on the Uffizi’s website, this virtual tour allows anyone to “visit” the museum from the comfort of his or her home. As it is presented by Google, the tour is rendered in the user-friendly, drag-and-drop style of Google Maps. Therefore, rather than simple still images, the tour offers a 360-degree look (complete with clickable descriptions of most works of art) at the site. This enables onlookers to observe their surroundings from more angles and, consequently, culminates in a more lifelike experience.

Situated in the heart of Florence, Italy, the Uffizi Gallery proudly houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of Italian Renaissance Art. With iconic masterpieces like Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus, Caravaggio’s Bacchus, and Michelangelo’s The Holy Family, art lovers from all over the world have flocked to the Florentine museum for centuries. Now, however, you can view the museum’s art—and even stroll through its equally beautiful arcades and corridors—with just the curated click of a mouse.