Courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery

The courtyard outside the Uffizi Gallery was originally designed by Vasari with 28 niches that were purposefully left empty. In the 1830s, however, an empty niche looked wrong to most Florentines. The proposal was to fill the niches with statues of famous Florentines, which happened from 1842 through 1856. Today, a stroll along the walls of the courtyard is an introduction to some of the great minds that came from Florence and Tuscany. Amerigo Vespucci – Christopher Columbus and Marco Polo weren’t the only Italian explorers. Amerigo Vespucci was responsible for showing that Brazil and the West Indies were not part of Asia, but part of the “New World.” This was later named “America,” after Vespucci’s first name.

20150921FlorenceItaly01022015Architectural DetailAutumnEuropeFallFirenzaFirenzeProvince of FlorenceSculptureStatueTuscanyUfizzi Gallery