New Delhi:
A secret passageway inbuilt 1565 for the ruling Medici household in Florence, Italy, has opened to the general public for the primary time. The two,460-foot Corridoio Vasariano connects three landmarks: Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi Galleries, and Palazzo Pitti, stories CNN.
The passage was commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici, the Duke of Florence, and designed by the famend Renaissance painter and architect Giorgio Vasari. Constructed in simply 5 months, the hall offered a safe and personal route for the Medici rulers to journey between their official places of work on the Uffizi and their residence at Palazzo Pitti, with out having to stroll by the busy streets of Florence. It remained off-limits to everybody besides the Medici household and their closest workers.
The hall is a outstanding architectural feat, that includes a lined walkway with terracotta bricks, giant porthole home windows that supply glimpses of town, and 106 steps that present entry to completely different components of the cityscape. The passage was additionally crammed with over 1,000 items of artwork from the 18th century.
For a few years, the hall was solely accessible by non-public excursions and unique visits, with a steep charge for these fortunate sufficient to enter. Nonetheless, in 2016, it was closed for security causes and underwent an intensive renovation. The renovation, which took eight years and value roughly $11.5 million, restored the hall to its former glory.
Now, after almost 5 centuries, the passageway is open to the general public, with tickets priced at 43 euros (Rs 3,828), which additionally grant entry to the Uffizi Galleries, one of many world’s most well-known artwork museums, housing masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio, and plenty of extra.
Simone Verde, the director of the Uffizi Galleries, referred to the Vasari Hall as a “legendary place” and a “parallel metropolis inside the metropolis.” The Medici’s cultural affect, he famous, performed a vital function in shaping the Renaissance and had an enduring influence on the courts of recent Europe.
Right now, guests can tour the Corridoio Vasariano in small teams of 25. The hall gives beautiful views of town’s structure, together with the well-known Ponte Vecchio, the medieval bridge that spans the Arno River.