Uffizi Reopens to Thousands of Visitors After 77-Day Closure

The Uffizi Galleries in Florence reopened on January 21, 2021, after 77 days of closure—the longest shutdown since World War II. In the first six days, 7,300 visitors came, with daily numbers rising from 776 on opening day to a peak of 1,540 on January 29. Director Eike Schmidt personally opened the doors and welcomed the first guests. Education Minister Azzolina visited that same morning, prompting Schmidt to quip that students should skip school to visit the Uffizi. The museum is open only on weekdays under Italy's 'yellow zone' restrictions, drawing a local Florentine and Tuscan audience rather than international tourists. Schmidt expressed satisfaction with the enthusiastic response, calling museums an essential part of the local spirit, and hoped that declining infections would allow weekend openings soon. The reopening marks a shift toward museums serving local communities, a theme discussed at the MORE MUSEUM conference.