The two pictures below of the exterior of the Vasari Corridor in Florence encapsulate some of this city’s recent history. In the 19 C photo, we see the supporting arches of the then-closed corridor packed with workshops that hang out over the River Arno. This was the traditional location of the gun makers’ workshops, the embankment of the arquebusiers (Lungarno degli Archibusieri).
The Vasari Corridor in the 19th century
The Vasari Corridor in the late 20th century
In the 20 C photo, we see a restored structure with the arches as Vasari designed them. Only close inspection reveals the changes at the approach to the Ponte Vecchio. During WW II, Gerhard Wolf was the German Consul in Florence. In 1944, during the German retreat northwards, it was Wolf who interceded personally with Hitler to prevent the destruction of the Ponte Vecchio. (All the other bridges over the Arno were blown up.) However, the buildings on either side were heavily damaged and after the war were replaced by a mixture of traditional and modern buildings. Wolf was made an honorary citizen of Florence in 1955, not only for saving the bridge but for helping the numerous foreign residents of Florence, including the art historian Bernard Berenson, who were hiding out in the hills around Florence during the occupation.
Until recently, it was not easy to view the interior of the Vasari Corridor. It was mandatory to be part of a guided group and the inexpensive tours run by the Uffizi were replaced by over-priced offerings from private tour companies. However, from May 2024, the Vasari Corridor will be open to all visitors to the Uffizi Galleries, without the need for a reservation or a guide. The corridor itself, running from the Palazzo Vecchio, via the Uffizi and across the river to the Palazzo Pitti is intrinsically fascinating, but the collection of artists’ self-portraits that used to hang along the walls have been moved to the Uffizi and replaced by a series of Roman epigraphs related to the Florence.
The renovated Vasari Corridor 2024
Information on how to visit the Vasari Corridor in Florence.
About Elena Spolaor
Although Elena was born in Venice, she was brought up in Tuscany and is a historian and frequent contributor to online articles about life in Tuscany and Umbria. Her specialities are Tuscan and Umbrian local history and folklore.
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