The Uffizi’s Magliabechiana Library has reopened after an 18-month restoration campaign.
The interiors underwent structural consolidation in February 2022, which resulted in the 18th-century cultural space being able to accommodate modern technology for both books and users. A 250,000 euro investment was required to bring the library up to code, which includes fully renewed lights that were placed strategically on desks, shelves and tables.
“Restoring the Biblioteca Magliabechiana has dual worth. Firstly, there was a practical need (we needed to consolidate the roof supports), but most importantly it reminds us of the importance of research as a fundamental tool to safeguard artworks and as an essential element of a museum’s mission,” comments Eike Schmidt, director of the Uffizi Galleries.
The Biblioteca Magliabechiana is open for free to academics on Tuesdays from 9am to 5pm and on Thursdays from 9am to 1pm.
About the Biblioteca Magliabechiana
Born in Florence in 1633, Antonio Magliabechi was librarian to the Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany. On his death, he left behind a patrimony of about 30,000 books. This bequest provided Florence with its first public library, which became the original nucleus of today’s National Central Library. On December 16, 1998, in the Salone Magliabechiano, the original headquarters of the Biblioteca Nazionale’s collection, the Biblioteca degli Uffizi was installed, which specialized in art history, local history and museography.
