Vandals Deface Vasari Corridor in Florence, Two German Tourists Detained

On the night of August 22-23, 2023, the Vasari Corridor in Florence was vandalized with spray paint. Florence mayor Dario Nardella condemned the act on Instagram, announcing an investigation with municipal police and Carabinieri. The graffiti read "DKS1860," a reference to a German football club. Two German tourists were identified via surveillance cameras and detained; one still wore the previous night's shirt, and spray cans matching the paint were found in their apartment. Uffizi director Eike Schmidt called for severe punishment, noting that in the US such acts carry up to five years in prison. Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano declared "zero tolerance" and demanded collaboration to prosecute the perpetrators. The Vasari Corridor, built in 1565 by Giorgio Vasari for Cosimo I de' Medici, connects Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti. It housed the Uffizi's self-portrait collection until 2016, when it closed for renovations initially slated to finish in 2022, later postponed to late 2023.