In Florence, a total investment of approximately 50 million euros is set to profoundly transform the Uffizi Galleries over the next two years. This is the program of improvements outlined this morning by Director Simone Verde alongside museum officials—a plan that encompasses the entire museum complex, from the Gallery of Statues and Paintings at Palazzo Pitti to the Boboli Gardens, through dozens of construction projects that have already been completed, are currently underway, or are about to begin. The goal is to simultaneously address conservation, the enhancement of the heritage, the modernization of facilities, the quality of the visitor experience, and the expansion of spaces accessible to the public. The project includes monumental restorations, museum layout redesigns, new lighting, repurposing of historic spaces, the introduction of new services, and a series of initiatives aimed at making the complex increasingly efficient and welcoming.
The scope of the work was presented for the first time in a comprehensive manner by the entire technical and scientific staff of the Uffizi Galleries, who outlined an overall strategy designed to address every sector of the museum. Among the priority areas is the strengthening of systems dedicated to the conservation and security of the artworks, with particular attention to air-handling systems and climate control—elements that are fundamental to the protection of the heritage.
At the Uffizi, the program also includes the creation of a new introductory section dedicated to the history of the collections, designed to tell visitors the story of how the museum’s heritage was formed right from the moment they enter. This is one of the most significant projects, with a partial investment of 2,404,975 euros. In addition, a new reception and access control area will be created in the Magliabechiana Hall, which will overhaul the visitor entry system. At the same time, a new reception area will take shape in the Monumental Hall overlooking Piazza del Grano, which will house access control and public services. The bidding process for this work has already been completed, and the construction contract has been awarded to the winning contractor; operations are scheduled to begin in the coming months.
Work also continues on the curatorial redesign of the second floor of the Gallery of Statues and Paintings. The galleries dedicated to the Flemish masters will undergo a complete redesign, featuring a new layout, an updated lighting system, and new spacers for the artworks (an investment of 1,197,372 euros). At the same time, the room dedicated to the portraits of Illustrious Men by Andrea del Castagno and the gallery of ancient inscriptions—restored according to philological criteria—will be opened to the public (€343,756 allocated). Also within the Gallery, the Verone degli Uffizi will be redesigned, and the historic galleries designed by Carlo Scarpa, Giovanni Michelucci, and Ignazio Gardella will be restored according to philological criteria; new interpretive tools will also be introduced in these spaces to help the public better understand the collections.
Among the cross-cutting initiatives already underway is the complete overhaul of the museum’s explanatory text and signage throughout the entire monumental complex. This update will affect both the Uffizi and Palazzo Pitti, with new captions for the works, panels dedicated to the corridors, and new informational screens designed to guide visitors along the tour route.
Among the projects with the greatest financial impact is the restoration of the facades and roofs of the Vasari complex, for which an investment of 12 million euros is planned. This is accompanied by the dismantling of the large construction site in the Uffizi square, the replacement of museum display elements with new spacers and seating, and the renovation of the museum terrace’s furnishings, made possible through sponsorship by Edra based on a design by Francesco Bonfarè.
A significant portion of the investments also pertains to technological systems. Plans include the completion of the air conditioning and air treatment system in the final section of the Vasari Corridor, the purchase of two new cooling towers for the Uffizi, and the initiation of the procurement process for three water-cooled chillers and two water-to-water heat pumps for the air-conditioning systems, at a cost of 1,714,265 euros.
Alongside these technological upgrades, major restoration projects are underway in monumental spaces. At Palazzo Pitti, one of the most significant projects involves the restoration of the so-called “Piano degli Occhi,” the building’s top floor, which is currently virtually unknown to the general public and is set to become a new exhibition space, with an investment of 4.9 million euros. Approximately 1,000 square meters will be transformed into new exhibition spaces, significantly expanding the museum’s visitor area. The program also includes the renovation and modernization of the Teatro Rondò di Bacco, the monitoring and restoration of Palazzo Pitti’s facades, and the opening of a new entrance to the complex. Also at Palazzo Pitti, major work is underway on the Grand Ducal Treasury, which is undergoing extraordinary maintenance of the building and its systems, as well as a new exhibition layout, with a budget of 380,000 euros, to which an additional 3,535,066 euros has been allocated for the construction of new display cases. The Palatine Gallery will see the replacement of its textile wall coverings, as well as the restoration and new lighting of the Hall of Jupiter, the Hall of Saturn, and the Hall of the Iliad, in addition to completely new lighting for the White Hall. Restoration work will also continue on the Volterrano Wing and the Music Hall.
Work continues in the Boboli Gardens on the Amphitheater, the Fountain of Neptune, and the Fountain of the Island, along with their surrounding areas. The conservation restoration and functional rehabilitation of the Amphitheater, which is set to once again host public performances, involve an investment of approximately 3 million euros. Also planned are the completion of the restoration of the Fountain of Neptune and its surrounding area, as well as that of the Fountain of the Island and its adjacent spaces—projects that together total an investment of 7,665,000 euros. The program also includes restoration work on the plant life and related infrastructure in the Giardino del Cavaliere, at a cost of approximately 800,000 euros, the restoration of the Pagliere complex in the Giardino delle Scuderie Reali, which will serve both as a storage facility for tapestries and, on the first floor, as an open storage area for the collections of furnishings that belonged to the Medici, Lorraine, and Savoy families. A budget of approximately 3.6 million euros has been allocated for this project.
Great attention is also being paid to the botanical heritage: over the past two years, more than 2,600 new plants have been planted in various areas of the park, a number that exceeds 3,600 when including those planted in 2024. The document presented today also notes that, over the past year, more than 2,500 new plants were planted. This is a program to restore the botanical heritage that accompanies the architectural and monumental restoration work on the historic garden. The plan is rounded out by the restoration and maintenance of the Boboli sculptures, at a cost of approximately one million euros; the construction of the garden’s new internal road network; and the restoration of the Serra delle Medinille, a project valued at 240,603 euros.
Finally, regarding tools for cultural mediation, the Uffizi Galleries are introducing new captions for the artworks, measuring 25 by 16 centimeters, new captions for the corridors, measuring 295 by 30 centimeters, new signage for the Uffizi and Palazzo Pitti, and new display screens in the galleries, with the aim of making the visitor experience clearer and more accessible and supporting the overall transformation of one of the world’s most important museum complexes.
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| Uffizi, 50 Million Investment: The Complex Will Be Transformed |
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