The building may be centuries old but things are happening this summer at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
Free WiFi
A new free wifi system has been installed in the museum, courtesy of Amici degli Uffizi. This is significant because visitors will be able to take advantage of connected devices to use apps or online information to help them navigate the museum. A new mobile website has also been created with specific information to help visitors inside.
Botticelli Room renovation
As part of the plans for the Nuovi Uffizi progress, the Botticelli Room (10-14) will be closed for renovation from July 14, 2015 until spring 2016. The most important works from this room will be moved to Room 41, off the third corridor, to a large space that has been renovated to the necessary standards of security and air filtration. The renovation of both rooms and the moving of the works has been made possible with a significant donation by Friends of Florence, who raised $910.000 for the project in just six weeks. President of the Foundation Countess Simonetta Brandolini d’Adda told The Florentine that the majority of the funds were donated by board members, who, moved by the exquisite beauty of Botticelli, “couldn’t donate fast enough”.
The new room 41 is smaller than the one that usually houses the Botticellis, but the viewing experience is already much improved by the new, much clearer glass that has been placed in front of the two most popular works, the Primavera and the Birth of Venus. Previously hindered by the old room’s old lighting and rather dirty green glass in front of them, the new lighting and new glass is like a revelation! Guards are expected to limit the number of people who crowd into the room. Meanwhile, the old room will be improved, and will be divided into multiple, smaller spaces to improve both visitor flow and experience.
Artful nights
Extended hours have been announced for Saturday nights at the Uffizi, Accademia and Bargello for this summer and for the rest of the year. The museums will be open until 11pm (with ticket office closure slightly earlier). The Bargello, which closes in the afternoon, will be open from 7-11pm on these nights, however will NOT open nights in June and July and on September 5-19. The Accademia Saturday nights are on through December all except for September 26, while the Uffizi will be open all Saturday nights except December 12.
Director hopefuls
After last winter’s international call for “supermanager” directors for 20 top state museums, candidates have finally been narrowed down; the lists were made public on July 1, and interviews are underway from July 11 to August 6, 2015. Up for grabs are the helms of the Uffizi (bundled with the Pitti Palace), Accademia and Bargello. Topping the list of candidates for the Uffizi with the highest number of points (82) is Stefano Carboni, director of the Art Gallery of Western Australia with a specialization in Islamic Art and a CV that includes the Met. Other top international candidates with are David Ekserdjian, a well-published professor atUniversity of Leicester and Italian Renaissance painting specialist; Katherine Getchell, deputy director at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts (also named by Boston Magazine as one of the top 100 “women who run this town”); and Eike D. Schmidt, curator of Decorative Arts at Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The same number of points entering the interview phase has been awarded to the incumbent Antonio Natali, who had previously announced his intention to fight tooth and nail for his job.
