Latest News
This section offers the latest news from the museum, on planned events and more.
Special openings for Easter
As the Easter holiday comes close, the director’s office of the Accademia museum in Florence has communicated its hours. In particular, it has confirmed that the museum will be open with free entrance for all on Easter Sunday, April 1st because it is the first Sunday of the month. It will also be open, with a special opening, on Monday, April 2nd. On both days, the museum will have regular hours, from 8:15am to 6:50pm. On both day, and up until April 15th, visitors will get a chance to see the temporary exhibit “Textiles and Riches in 14th century Florence: Wool, silk and paintings”.
It has also confirmed it will have regular opening times on April 25th, from 8:15am-6:50pm.
Finally, to give visitors a chance to enjoy a long weekend over May 1st, the museum will actually have a special opening on Monday, April 30th, again with regular hours 8:15am-6:50pm.
It is possibile to prebook tickets to visit on all of these days by calling the museum’s call center at 055.294883, except for Sunday, April 1st as it is the first Sunday of the month with free entrance and thus tickets cannot be pre-booked for that day.
The director of the Galleria dell’Accademia, Cecilie Hollberg, has just announced that the museum will continue this summer offering longer opening hours every Tuesday from June until September.
Starting June 5 and continuing until the end of September (the last on the 25th), visitors to the magnificent city of Florence can also choose to spend the evening at the Accademia up until 10pm. Ticket office will close at 9.30pm. Entrance during these longer hours is with paid entry.
SPECIAL OPENING ON MONDAY AUGUST 14
The Accademia Gallery will have a special opening on Monday, August 14 to give everyone who is in Florence for the long weekend of “Ferragosto” the chance to visit the museum. Opening hours will be a full day, from 8.15 – 18.50, thanks to the agreement reached by the museum and labor union representatives.
On the day of Ferragosto, Tuesday August 15 (a national holiday), the museum will be open following usual opening times, from 8.15 to 18.50.
To prebook your visit, the best option is to call the museum call center at 055.234883.
For the entire summer of 2017, enjoy summer evenings and longer opening hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays to visit the Accademia Gallery!
In fact, if you’re in Florence one either of those days between the end of June and September, it makes sense to head to the museum later in the day when the larger crowds of the day are gone. Many, in fact, visit Florence as a day trip and leave town by around 5 or 6pm. So take advantage that the Accademia will be open until 10pm on all Tuesdays and Thursdays from now until the end of September!
Paid entrance on these days – you can book online or by phone if you want to pre-book tickets. Or you can remain flexible and just try heading directly – you might not find a line! Ticket office closes at 9:30pm. Read more about booking options here.
This Saturday, May 20th, head to the Accademia Gallery in the evening hours to enjoy the special opening for the European Museum Night 2017. Open from 7pm to 10pm, you can visit the Accademia for just 1 euro, a symbolic entrance fee.
We just learned that several Italian trade unions have announced a general strike for the entire day on March 8th.
This affects both the private and public sector. As such, the Accademia Gallery will guarantee opening of the museums only for the morning hours, from 8.15am to 1.50pm.
The afternoon hours are not guaranteed, as it will depend on the personnel that adheres to the strike. Visit the Accademia tomorrow knowing this, prepare for long lines or to not be able to enter at all.
The Accademia Gallery is offering FREE entry to all women on Women’s International Day, March 8th!
As already offered this past July, the Accademia Gallery will remain open longer hours every Friday evening until 10pm (paid entrance). During these longer opening times, the museum will also offer visitors the chance to join in short guided tours of a specific work of art, artist or of a general art school or technique.
The tours in July, as a testing ground, were offered only in Italian but in August the tours will be in both English and Italian.
You don’t need to book a spot for the tours, but you do need to show up at the meeting point in time as the groups will be limited to 25 people.
Below is the schedule just published by the museum so that you can see what’s on offer on a specific day or plan your visit to match a tour you’d like to take part in. Meeting point for the first visit at 19.15/19.30/20 is near the ticket office, for the second visit the meeting point is in the Hall of the Colossus at 20.15/20.30.
FRIDAYS IN AUGUST
AUGUST 5:
Michelangelo Buonarroti: Life and Works
19.15 English / 19.30 Italian
The Prisoners, St. Matthew and the Pietà from Palestrina
20.15 English / 20.30 Italian
AUGUST 12:
Guided Visit to the Gipsoteca
19.15 English / 19.30 Italian
Lorenzo Bartolini: life and works
20.15 English / 20.30 Italian
AUGUST 19:
Guided visit to the Department of Musical Instruments
19.15 English / 20.00 Italian
AUGUST 26:
Guided visit to the Department of Musical Instruments
19.15 English / 20.00 Italian
If you’re in Florence at the middle of the month, then you should know that August 15th is a national holiday and many places will be closed.
The Accademia Gallery, which is normally closed on Mondays, has just announced a special opening on Monday, August 15 for the national holiday. It will follow usual opening hours, from 8.15am to 6.50pm, with paid entrance. You can book tickets ahead of time, with last entrance you can book at 5.30pm.
The Accademia Gallery has just announced special evening hours every Friday, remaining open until 10pm, until September 30th.
In addition to the longer opening hours, every Friday at 7:30pm staff with guide visitors across the museum, talking of Michelangelo and his David and Prisoners, as well as many other important works and artistic and historical facts.
The visit is divided into two parts: the first, at 7:30, focusing on a general theme and at 8:30pm, a focus on a specific work or artistic technique tied to the first part of the visit.
During the first few weeks of the program, the tours are aimed at locals and will only be offered in Italian. Once the program takes off, the visits will also be offered in English.
July Program
July 15:
7.30pm – The Halls of the 13th and 14th centuries: the Giotto-style painters and Orcagna
8.30pm – The cycle of “formelle” by Taddeo Gaddi made for Santa Croce basilica
July 22:
7.30pm – The 16th century altarpieces in the Hall of the Colossus and Gallery of Prisoners
8.30pm – The Rape of the Sabines by Giambologna
July 29:
7.30pm – Late 14th century and Late-Gothic Paintings at the Accademia
8.30pm – Lorenzo Monaco
To participate in these FREE guided visits (remember, these are only in Italian for now), you need to show up at the marked meeting point near the ticket office inside the museum at 7.30pm. Up to 25 people will be allowed. You can book your participation free by calling 055-294-883. To participate in the 8.30pm visit, the meeting point is inside the Hall of the Colossus by 8.30pm.
Enjoy Fridays at the museum!