What comes to mind when you think of Italy, perhaps its wonderful culinary and wine scene or pictures of famous architects and painters? In 2019, it was stated that Italy has over 470 state-owned museums; Galleria degli Uffizi is one of them, displaying works from Renaissance painters and sculptors such as Leonardo and Caravaggio as well as German, Dutch and Flemish painters.
The Uffizi Palace
The Uffizi Gallery (Galleria degli Uffizi) is a prominent Italian piece of architecture from the 16th century. Built by Giorgio Vasari, a famous Italian painter and architect during the Renaissance period, the building was erected as a project commissioned for the Duke of Florence, Cosimo I de Medici. The Duke wanted Vasari to build a gathering palace for the magistrates of the city, an “uffizio” or an office. When Cosimo I and Vasari died in 1574, the building was completed by Duke Francesco I with his architect Bernardo Buontalenti.
Where different styles meet in one building
Galleria degli Uffizi is no ordinary architectural piece from the past. Commissioned by different architects, both Vasari and Buontalenti’s style gave the building its unique touch. For example, the staircases that lead to the Gallery: Vasari designed the first part of the stairs with Florentine Renaissance style. The second part of the staircase was created by the Lorraine Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, who commissioned Zanobi del Rosso. Del Rosso built the staircase with pastel green colours and was inspired by the bright interiors of European capitals such as Vienna and St. Petersburg.
The three corridors of the gallery are the striking elements of the Gallery, also decorated with different architecture styles and paintings. The construction for the hall began in the 16th century when Grand Duke Francesco I, son of Cosimo I, started to furnish the corridor with ancient statues and paintings.
The ceilings of the corridors were not excluded. Painting of the ceiling began in 1581 and continued to for the following two centuries. The first corridor ceiling was filled with paintings of mythological creatures, while the second and third corridors’ theme was primarily Tuscan glory and the Medici family.
Inside the gallery is an outstanding collection of ancient paintings and sculptures, dating from the Middle Ages to the Modern period, including masterpieces from Giotto, Beato Angelico, Caravaggio and Michelangelo.
Symbolism and art
Uffizi Gallery, other than a place filled with fascinating artworks, is also the home to symbolism in church and Italian culture. The Tribune, built between 1581 and 1583 by architect Buontalenti, is a great example. Originally built as a place to keep the Grand Duke’s jewels, The Tribune was filled with symbols of Christianity. The structure of the Tribune is octagonal, paying homage to “eight”, the number which draws to heaven according to Christian tradition. The dome itself is a symbol of the vault of heaven.
Moreover, the decoration of The Tribune is filled with iconography and symbolism. The earth, represented by the floor, was created with polychrome marble from Northern Africa, Turkey and Egypt. Paintings of plants and animals were created by artist Jacopo Ligozzi along the room’s perimeter. On the dome, the Water element is represented by 5,780 mother of pearls from the Indian Ocean.
Elegant product for a luxurious building
With the sophistication and the rich history of the Uffizi Gallery, it’s no wonder that it’s looking for products to meet its level of elegance. Its choice falls on TheSign, a line from Antipanic, specially designed for those who consider panic exit devices to be a true furnishing of a building and not just a product installed in emergency exits.
Fully constructed in stainless steel INOX 316, TheSign panic exit device guarantees maximum functionality and a long lifetime, even in extreme conditions. TheSign has two types of products, all with their own specialities, and each product has complete ICIM certification (certificate of performance) and meets Warrington Certifire standards.
The Gallery showed a general interest in TheSign because it is fully customisable. With this in mind, the Gallery ordered TheSign in bronze colour. This choice is not accidental; Galleria degli Uffizi wanted TheSign to adapt to the commonly-found colour in the gallery. Ultimately, TheSign is all about striving to match its exterior looks with whatever architecture it is complementing. Sturdy, robust, elegant and customisable. Everything in TheSign relates to a match made in heaven.
