Vasari Corridor in Florence Reopens December 21 After 8-Year Renovation

The Vasari Corridor, the 750-meter elevated passage connecting Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti in Florence, will reopen to the public on December 21, 2024, after being closed since 2016 for safety upgrades and restoration. Designed by Giorgio Vasari in 1565 for Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, the corridor runs above the Ponte Vecchio and was inspired by the Vatican's passetto. It was damaged in the 1993 Via dei Georgofili bombing. The renovation, initiated by former Uffizi director Eike Schmidt (now at Museo di Capodimonte) and prioritized by current director Simone Verde, cost €10 million plus a $1 million donation from US entrepreneur Skip Avansino. The project involved over 1,000 pages of plans, 201 square meters of drawings, 23 specialist reports, and 2,435 photographs. Restoration included plaster, reed ceilings, and terracotta flooring. The corridor now features full accessibility for disabled visitors with ramps, lifts, and elevators, as well as LED lighting and video surveillance. Access is via the Uffizi's first floor, with exit at the Grotta del Buontalenti in Boboli Gardens. Tickets cost €43 (including Uffizi entry), with mandatory reservation starting December 10. Visits are limited to groups of 25, one-way from 10:15 to 16:35, with a maximum of 5 tickets per booking. Verde stated the reopening is strategically important for reuniting the monumental and collecting history of the Uffizi complex.