Uffizi Medici heiress. The Uffizi is one of the first modern museums. The gallery had been open to visitors by request since the sixteenth century, and in 1765 it was officially opened to the public, formally becoming a museum in 1865. Today, the Uffizi is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Florence and one of the most visited art museums in the world. The building of Uffizi complex was begun by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 for Cosimo I de' Medici so as to accommodate the offices of the Florentine magistrates, hence the name , "offices". The construction was later
Friends of the Uffizi Gallery its sole purpose is to support the activities of the Amici by helping to fund ongoing restoration projects and to bring these projects to fruition. Led by Executive Board President Contessa Maria Vittoria Colonna Rimbotti, the Friends of the Uffizi Gallery in conjunction with the Amici degli Uffizi raises funds to support all of these activities through an international group of members and patrons. More than 30 restoration projects designated as priorities by the museum have been completed over the last several years and include renowned paintings, altarpieces, sculptures and tapestries. The mission of both organizations is to support the