From October 23, 2025, the Modern Art Gallery of Palazzo Pitti in Florence will be transformed into a multisensory museum with the project History between the Fingers, conceived by the Uffizi Galleries. The initiative proposes a new approach to the enjoyment of the 19th-century collections, offering visitors the opportunity to explore the works through touch, hearing and smell. The tour is led by lecturer Gianfranco Terzo, from the Liceo artistico di Porta Romana in Florence, who accompanies participants in discovering the sculptures on the museum’s second floor. Among the selected pieces are Ottaviano Giovannozzi’s portrait of Grand Duke Leopold II, a portrait of sculptor Lorenzo Bartolini by his student Pasquale Romanelli , and a bronze of Giuseppe Verdi signed by Vincenzo Gemito. The choice of works aims to represent the main currents and art-historical genres of the 19th century, allowing visitors to get to know Italian and foreign faces, stories and personalities of the period.
The multi-sensory itinerary is complemented by the presentation of objects related to daily life in the 19th century, which are largely disused today. These include writing instruments, hairstyle and clothing accessories, and other objects related to the characters in the exhibits. The selection varies from time to time, giving participants a broader overview of the customs and traditions of the period, and providing details on the daily practices and material culture of the 19th century. In addition to touch and sight, the experience involves hearing and smell. Musical and literary pieces accompany the visit, while smells and scents typical of the historical period allow the atmosphere of the period to be recreated. Parma violets, orange blossoms, tobacco and chocolate become tools of sensory remembrance, capable of arousing emotions and connections with the past. This approach aims to stimulate a more engaging enjoyment of the collections, facilitating an understanding of the cultural and social contexts in which the works were produced.
The multisensory tours will take place every Thursday morning from 10 a.m. to noon, from Oct. 23, 2025, until May 2026, with the exception of the Christmas and Easter holidays (Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Easter, April 2, 2026). Participation is included in the Pitti Palace ticket and requires reservations. After a brief introduction by staff from the Cultural Mediation and Accessibility Department, visitors are blindfolded to allow for a more direct and engaging tactile exploration. The duration of the visit is approximately one hour.
For information and reservations, visitors can contact uffiziaccessibili@cultura.gov.it. The initiative represents an attempt by the Uffizi Galleries to make the enjoyment of nineteenth-century heritage accessible and innovative, proposing a model of visitation in which historical and artistic knowledge is integrated with diversified sensory stimuli. The project is part of a framework of experiments aimed at making museums more inclusive and creating experiential paths that are not limited to visual contemplation. Through the use of touch, sounds and scents, visitors have the opportunity to establish direct and personal contact with the works and period objects, overcoming traditional barriers between the public and the collection. In this sense, the Modern Art Gallery of Palazzo Pitti is proposed as a laboratory of innovative museum fruition, with a focus on the cultural and social history of 19th-century Italy.
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| Uffizi: Palazzo Pitti's Gallery of Modern Art becomes multisensory |
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