Uffizi Galleries are embarking on one of the most ambitious redevelopment programs in their history
The Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy, just revealed the extent of ongoing €50 million renovation plans spread across the museum. The revamp includes dozens of projects in the Gallery of Statues and Paintings, the nearby Palazzo Pitti, and the Boboli Gardens, some of which have already begun, while others are scheduled to start in the coming months, allowing the museum to remain open.
Announced by Uffizi Galleries director Simone Verde, the director stated:
“An operation of unprecedented scale and depth is underway thanks to the extraordinary commitment of the entire staff,” Verde said at a press conference. “The Uffizi will emerge even more beautiful and increasingly capable of representing one of Italy’s fundamental cultural icons.”
Among the most significant developments at the Uffizi is the long-awaited creation of an introductory section dedicated to the history of the museum’s collections on the ground floor. Visitors will also benefit from a new reception and security screening area in the monumental Magliabechiana Hall.
Uffizi is investing heavily in conservation infrastructure. New air treatment and climate-control systems, including cooling towers, chillers and heat pumps, are intended to provide more stable environmental conditions for the museum’s collections. Including a planned €12 million restoration of the façades and roofs.
There is extensive work at Palazzo Pitti, which includes the refurbishment of the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, restoration and relighting of several rooms in the Palatine Gallery. Also the conversion of the top floor into approximately 1,000 square metres of new exhibition space. The palace will also gain a new entrance, while restoration continues on the Volterrano Apartments, the Music Room and the Rondò di Bacco theatre.
The Boboli Gardens are likewise undergoing extensive conservation. Restoration projects include the historic amphitheatre, the Neptune Fountain and the Isolotto fountain complex. Also will be work on sculptures, pathways, greenhouses and the former Pagliere buildings, which are being adapted for collection storage. More than 2,600 new trees and plants have been introduced across the gardens over the past two years as part of an ongoing programme to strengthen the park’s botanical heritage.
For more info visit: www.uffizi.it/en/the-uffizi