Uffizi Announces Plans for $57 M. Renovations Over Two Years
The Uffizi Galleries in Florence announced a €50 million ($57.6 million) renovation program spanning the Gallery of Statues and Paintings, Palazzo Pitti, and the Boboli Gardens, with work staged so the museum can remain open. Director Simone Verde said the effort is “of unprecedented scale and depth,” and a museum representative told ARTnews the renovations are expected to end “in two years.” Funding includes support from Italy’s Ministry of Culture and private contributions, including €5 million ($5.76 million) from American philanthropist Veronika Atkins. Planned upgrades include new visitor services and signage, rehung and restored galleries, new lighting, expanded exhibition space, improved climate control (including two cooling towers), restoration projects in the Boboli Gardens, and a new 1,000-square-meter exhibition area on the top floor of Palazzo Pitti; the museum also noted that more than 3,600 plants have been added to the Boboli Gardens over the past two years and that the Uffizi drew 5.3 million visitors last year.
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This story was covered in Museum Meltdowns and Art’s Arresting Protests