CORRIDOIO VASARIANO
An architectural feat by Giorgio Vasari, this secret corridor designed by the Medici links the Palazzo Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti.
Great news! The famous corridoio vasariano, closed since 2016 for major restoration work, has announced that it will reopen to the public on May 27, 2024. A Medici treasure, the corridoio vasariano is a kilometer-long corridor that runs from the Palazzo Vecchio, through the Uffizi, over the Arno on the Ponte Vecchio and winds through the Oltrarno, before arriving at the Palazzo Pitti. The story goes that Cosimo I's wife, Eleonora of Toledo (1519-1562), was bored in her palace, so she bought a new one on the other side of the Arno. More pragmatically, the Pitti Palace and its corridor made it possible to escape quickly and safely in the event of unrest, and thus reach the Palazzo Vecchio, seat of government, unnoticed. Upon completion of the Uffizi, the Medici commissioned Giorgio Vasari to build this corridor, which was completed in just 5 months in 1564 for the wedding of Francesco I de' Medici. Once bare, this covered skyway, now completely renovated and accessible to all, now presents itself as a panoramic promenade above Florence. The 73 windows along the route have been reopened, offering superb views of Florence and its historic rooftops.
For the record, the stores under Vasari's corridor were once home to butchers and fishmongers, and the strong odor bothered the Medici, who had them closed. They asked to be replaced by jewelers.
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