\paperw19995 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 In 1560 the grand duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I deÆ Medici, decided to construct the new building of the \i uffizi\i0 , or offic
es, for the magistracies of the Florentine government. In 1581, when the building was complete, Grand Duke Francis I deÆ Medici decided to house the familyÆs art collections in the upper gallery. In 1591 the Uffizi Gallery was opened to visits by reque
st, making it the first museum in the world. Over the course of time its collections have been enriched with new works of art and archeological finds. In the mid-twentieth century the museumÆs rooms were organized on a chronological basis. This allowe
d paintings of the same period but from different geographical regions to be shown alongside one another and fully convey the artistic spirit of a particular historical period.
