The Uffizi Gallery itself, as one of the most renowned art museums in the world, does not have a specific food history, but it is situated in Florence – a city with a rich culinary tradition. Florence has been a center of arts and culture since the Renaissance, and this period also saw a flowering of culinary arts, with an emphasis on fresh, high-quality ingredients and simple preparations that highlight natural flavors. Influences from the Medici family's table, who were great patrons of the arts and employed some of the era's best chefs, are still seen in Tuscan cuisine today. Traditional Tuscan bread, which is made without salt, is a peculiar local ingredient that has its origins in a historical conflict with Pisa which controlled access to salt.