Italian Minister Proposes 'Uffizi 2' and Museum Ticket Price Hikes

Italian Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano proposed creating a second branch of the Uffizi Galleries, dubbed 'Uffizi 2,' during a parliamentary hearing on December 1. The plan aims to display artworks currently held in storage, citing that Italy has 5 million artifacts but only 480,000 are exhibited. Sangiuliano suggested the new venue could be in Florence, another Tuscan city, or abroad, following the Louvre model. He also discussed a second location for the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN) at Palazzo Fuga. The minister argued that museum ticket prices are too low, comparing the Uffizi's €12 fee to the Louvre's €17, and questioned whether the Uffizi is undervalued. He previously criticized the free admission on the first Sunday of each month, claiming it 'depreciates the value of works.' The proposal has sparked debate on whether Italy should focus on improving existing museums or creating new ones.