This article originally appeared in the March 2004 issue of Dream of ItalyGiotto, Make Room for More!
In a move that will please art
lovers, Florence’s most famous
gallery, the Uffizi, plans on expanding
to include an extra 800
pieces of art in a 60 million
euro renovation, a
modification that will
allow the museum to
boast over 2,000 of
the most famous artworks
in history. The
change will double the number
of exhibition rooms to include
works formerly kept in store-rooms,
and is the first large overhaul
in decades, an alteration that
would alleviate some of the difficulties
visitors face in navigating
the maze-like rooms and hallways.
The Uffizi currently welcomes
4,500 guests per day, and after the
added works, officials expect to
see over 7,000 daily
admirers. Exhibition
space will go from
6,000 square meters to
over 13,000 square
meters.Tourists and regulars,
fear not — although the
start date is uncertain, the
entire museum will NOT be
closed during renovations, so go
ahead, ponder Venus’ birth all you
want…
–Marielena Martone