The Uffizi Library


The library, which was founded in the second half of the eighteenth century by the Grand Duke Peter Leopold, was housed up to 1998 in the part of Vasari’s complex that was originally the Ridotto or foyer of the Medici Theatre.
The new premises were opened on 16 December 1998 in the renovated areas previously occupied by the Biblioteca Magliabechiana.
The library, which conserves numerous manuscripts from the collections of the Florentine museums, became specialised in the art history sector to respond to the demands of study and documentation of the related museums.

Heritage

The overall number of titles is 78,600.
These include: 470 manuscripts, 5 incunabula, 192 sixteenth-century books, 1,445 books printed between 1601 and 1800 and 1,136 periodicals (including around 140 still on subscription).

Catalogue

The catalogue has been automated since 1996, within the framework of the IRIS database.
Iris is an inter-library association that comprises: the Berenson library of Villa I Tatti, the library of the Fondazione Roberto Longhi, the library of the Istituto Olandese di Storia dell'Arte, the library of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, the library of the Istituto Nazionale di Studi sul Rinascimento and the library of the Università Internazionale dell'Arte.
As at 30 June 2003, the bibliographic records of the library entered in the IRIS database numbered 40,000. The retrospective reconversion for the remaining 23,000 titles is in progress.
The IRIS database can be consulted online at:
›› http://iris-aleph.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/F

Fondo Carocci

The Fondo Carocci of the Uffizi Library, with its fundamental information about mediaeval Florence before the renovations that took place in the city centre at the end of the nineteenth century, is now within reach at the click of a mouse.
›› Consult the maps

Address and contacts

Loggiato degli Uffizi, Florence
Tel: +39 055 2388647
Fax: +39 055 2388648
Email: biblioteca@polomuseale.firenze.it
Facebook: Official page link

Public opening hours

Tuesday 9.00 - 17.00
Wednesday 9.00 – 13.00
Thursday 9.00 – 13.00

Management

Claudio Di Benedetto, Director

Regulations

The Library is open to:

  • teachers and researchers from universities, the National Research Council (CNR) and other recognised research institutes
    for admission it is sufficient to display a document issued by the institution you belong to or, should this not be available, a declaration made to this effect
  • officials from commissions, museums, libraries and archives
    for admission it is sufficient to display a document issued by the institution you belong to or, should this not be available, a declaration made to this effect
  • postgraduate students and scholarship-holders
    for admission it is sufficient to display a certificate issued by the university or academy you belong to or, should this not be available, a declaration made to this effect
  • undergraduates with a letter of presentation from their supervisor
    should this not be available, and on a temporary basis (for not more than three days’ admission), a declaration made to this effect
  • university undergraduates and students at academies and other institutes with a letter of presentation from a teacher
    should this not be available, and on a temporary basis (for not more than three days’ admission), a declaration made to this effect
  • anyone carrying out research, even for personal reasons, which demands the consultation of specialist material available only in this library