About the Vasari Corridor Walk in Florence
The Vasari Corridor is, perhaps, the strongest architectural symbol of the power wielded by the Medici family in Florence during the Renaissance era. A private passageway that linked the government offices housed in the Palazzo Vecchio to the family residence in the Palazzo Pitti, the corridor was Cosimo I de' Medici's testimony to his generation's quest to transform Florence into a quasi-monarchical society. During our two-hour exploration of this unique and private space, which is usually closed to the public and open for this special event, we will not only take in the portrait collection that now adorns the walls of the corridor but we will also discuss its symbolic importance as a political and social symbol.
We will begin with an observation of the corridor from the outside, following its path starting in the Palazzo Vecchio, passing through the Uffizi Gallery (from which we will enter the corridor later on in the visit), spanning the Arno on top of the Ponte Vecchio and contin
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The Vasari Corridor is, perhaps, the strongest architectural symbol of the power wielded by the Medici family in Florence during the Renaissance era. A private passageway that linked the government offices housed in the Palazzo Vecchio to the family residence in the Palazzo Pitti, the corridor was Cosimo I de' Medici's testimony to his generation's quest to transform Florence into a quasi-monarchical society. During our two-hour exploration of this unique and private space, which is usually closed to the public and open for this special event, we will not only take in the portrait collection that now adorns the walls of the corridor but we will also discuss its symbolic importance as a political and social symbol.
We will begin with an observation of the corridor from the outside, following its path starting in the Palazzo Vecchio, passing through the Uffizi Gallery (from which we will enter the corridor later on in the visit), spanning the Arno on top of the Ponte Vecchio and continuing on to Palazzo Pitti. The story of the Medici family is intrinsically linked to the architecture of this part of town, thus, we will discuss the various periods and the main personalities of the family. We will also consider the life and work of the executor of the corridor, painter, author and architect Giorgio Vasari, who was commissioned by Cosimo to build the corridor in 1565.
Our actual time in the corridor will be limited to one hour (the maximum amount of time allotted for visits), but we will use our time wisely, exploring the self-portrait collection, which boasts the likes of Fillipino Lippi, Rubens, Velasquez, Rembrandt and Chagall, and discussing the massive influence that the Medici's had over the production of art in Florence during the entirety of their 400-year reign. But perhaps the most thrilling aspect of this visit is simply traversing the corridor, offering an unprecedented view of the city and offering the opportunity to float above the heads of the “commoners”, much like the Medici did.
Please note that the main focus of the walk is to visit and discuss the structure of the Vasari Corridor. Even though we will be providing tickets to the Uffizi we will not spend any considerable time in the collection. Our total time spent in the actual corridor, itself, is one hour (the maximum time allotted).
