It’s official: until November 1, the Bargello Museum will stay open for extended hours, now from 8.15am to 5pm, rather than their usual closing time at 2pm. The new opening times, which are also in effect at the Medici Chapels, were made possible thanks to an agreement with the overseeing unions.
Staffing has been a concern throughout the call for extended hours at the Bargello, which for now has been solved with the help of Firenze Musei, who will provide four extra employees.
Paola D’Agostino, the Bargello’s director, explained to Corriere Fiorentino, “For the future, we will need to have a new work structure, including a network of external people, even if I believe that a majority of our workforce must be under the auspices of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage.”
The issue with the Bargello’s limited hours was raised by Philip Rylands, director of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, after he recently tried to visit the Florentine museum in the early afternoon and was shocked to find it closed. Though the extended hours are temporary, D’Agostino has her sights set on making the move permanent.
