The Vasari Corridor Florence has finally reopened after years of closure, but what is it and why is everyone so excited to visit?

I was lucky enough to walk along the newly opened space early in January 2025, so keep reading to discover what to expect and why you should add the Vasari Corridor to your Florence itinerary.

The Vasari Corridor was originally built for the Medici family (as so many of Florence’s central buildings were) and stretches across the Ponte Vecchio. Connecting Palazzo Vecchio to the Pitti Palace via the Uffizi Gallery, it was once home to some of the self-portraits in the Uffizi collection.

The new set-up allows visitors to walk along the historic corridor, admiring the unique perspective the windows offer of Florence’s historic center.

In 1549 Cosimo I de’Medici purchased the Pitti Palace and surrounding land. This was to allow him and his family to move out of their current home, Palazzo Vecchio, into something more modern.

Cosimo hired the architect Giorgio Vasari to completely overhaul the palace. Vasari added a huge extension and worked on many elements within the building, but initially the Medici family were still primarily living in Palazzo Vecchio.

In 1565 Cosimo asked Vasari to build him a passageway. This would connect Palazzo Pitti to Palazzo Vecchio (the political heart of Florence) and his new Uffizi, ‘offices’, which were originally built to house various offices for people running the city.

Cosimo had only recently become the first Grand Duke of Florence, replacing the earlier republic, and was cautious of being in public too much. He wanted to make the move to the Pitti Palace but was reluctant to do so without a safe and easy way to get from his home to the political buildings in the center.

Construction of the Vasari Corridor

Vasari designed and built the kilometer long corridor (named for him) in only 5 months, an exceptional feat for the time considering the amount of work involved.

First there was the problem of the Ponte Vecchio, which at this time was home to butchers and tanners. The combined smell of animals, blood, urine and meat was overwhelming even by the standards of the day and Cosimo did not want to deal with that every time he or his family needed to get across the river.

He decreed that all of this should go, inviting goldsmiths and jewellers to take over the prime retail space instead after the Ponte Vecchio was cleaned up.

The next problem was that there were a number of medieval towers that were part of the Ponte Vecchio structure, originally built as defensive towers.

Most of the owners allowed Cosimo to demolish their buildings to make way for the new corridor but one family, the Mannelli’s, refused. Vasari had to therefore place his passageway to go around this tower, which still stands today.

Cosimo wanted it to be ready for the wedding celebrations of his son Francesco to Joanna of Austria in December 1565. This was in part to be able to show off to the many royal and wealthy guests, so Vasari was on a tight deadline.

Despite the many obstacles in his way, Vasari delivered on time.

Later use of the Vasari Corridor Florence

The Medici family continued to use the corridor as their own private route across the river until they died out in the 1700’s.

The Uffizi had been used as an art gallery by the family for a long time. It was therefore a natural step to open it to the public when the last Medici, Anna Maria Luisa, passed away.

In 1769 the Uffizi Gallery was inaugurated and has been open in some form ever since.

The Vasari Corridor itself was initially blocked off to stop people getting in the Pitti Palace from the Uffizi. In later years it was used as an extension of the galleries, particularly in the 1970’s when the self-portrait collection was moved to the corridor.

During World War II Florence was bombed and some damage was caused to the area all around the Ponte Vecchio.

The bridge and Vasari Corridor was saved from significant damage however thanks to Italian dictator Mussolini’s wish to impress Adolf Hitler. Hitler was planning to visit Florence in 1939 and Mussolini ordered the original windows along the Vasari Corridor to be replaced with larger openings, which would provide more impressive views.

Hitler was suitably impressed and was later said to have told his forces to avoid bombing this bridge when the Germans were retreating. The Ponte Vecchio was the only bridge in Florence not to have been damaged as part of their retreat so maybe the story is true, but whatever the reason, I’m thankful this precious piece of Florentine history was preserved.

More damage was done to the corridor in 1993 when a bomb placed by the Sicilian Mafia in retribution for the arrest of their boss went off near the entrance to the Uffizi. Some of the paintings on display were destroyed and parts of the Vasari Corridor had to be rebuilt, but the damage was able to be repaired.

Up until 2016 the Vasari Corridor was only accessible to small tour groups, not regular visitors to the Uffizi Gallery, with most windows covered up to protect the paintings on display.

There was already talk of a reorganization and review of how the Vasari Corridor would operate when a failed fire safety assessment forced an immediate closure to visitors in 2016. This started a long project to both ensure the corridor would meet modern safety standards and to create a more accessible space for visitors.

At one point the proposed vision was to have ancient sculptures on display rather than paintings, along with information about the key points in the corridor’s history, but later it was decided to restore the corridor to its original status.

As well as adding accessibility-friendly elements, fire exits were created and a new system of controlling the heat and air installed. All the windows were uncovered and the original terracotta flooring was painstakingly reinstated.

December 2024 marked the official reopening, 8 years after closing, and now visitors can see the Vasari Corridor Florence without restriction.

Before the Vasari Corridor closed for renovations in 2016, it was filled with self-portraits from the Uffizi collection, but now those have been moved into the main galleries.

If you take the slightly longer route to reach the entrance you will see this fascinating collection with portraits from the 17th century to modern day.

Now the corridor does not have any artworks inside it, the focus is very much on the views and unique perspective of Florence. Staff members will escort you along the corridor but are not guides and there are no information boards, so I advise you to do a little research before you go to understand what you are seeing.

Views from the Vasari Corridor

As you walk through the Vasari Corridor there are many windows for you to look out of. The first section gives you great views of the Ponte Vecchio and the corridor running on top of the stores there.

Then you will get to the section that crosses the bridge, with views on the left of the Arno river and on the right looking down on the shops and people. Make sure to go to both sides as you walk through the corridor to see both perspectives.

I loved looking down on people shopping and walking over the bridge, as well as the details of the other buildings on the Ponte Vecchio.

When you reach the other side of the river Arno, the perspective changes slightly. This makes it feel like you’re really in a secret passageway with glimpses of rooftops, hidden terraces and narrow streets below.

Other sights in the Vasari Corridor

There are some sections where the original stonework and architectural details have been restored. This shows how the corridor was intricately linked with many of the buildings around it.

At about two thirds along the corridor there is a viewing window down into the church of Santa Felicita, one of the oldest churches in Florence. There is a balcony here where the Medici family could sit and attend church services without having to interact with other people.

At the end of the visit you will come out at the side of the Boboli Gardens.

The Vasari Corridor continues on into Palazzo Pitti but this is not part of the visit; look up to your right when you go outside and follow the path of the corridor into the huge palace.

The end of the Vasari Corridor

In this courtyard at the end of the visit you’ll see the huge Buontalenti Grotto which was created in the 1500’s. This is where Giambologna’s beautiful ‘Venus in the Bath’ sculpture is located (although the grotto is closed for renovation right now).

On the right hand side, just before you are escorted out into the courtyard of the Pitti Palace, don’t miss the small fountain statue of ‘Morgante on a Turtle’, one of my favorite oddities in this collection. Not a classical Greek-style work in any way, this statue depicts a small, naked, rotund man sitting on top of a turtle from whose mouth water flows into a small basin.

This is Morgante, a court dwarf who was a favorite of Cosimo I de’Medici in the 16th century. Born with dwarfism, he was given to the royal court by his parents in the hope his life would be better. Cosimo asked for the sculpture to be created as Morgante was getting older, with the turtle representing the emblem of the Duchy of Florence.

There is something oddly fascinating about the statue and with it being tucked away, not many people get to see it.

Visiting the Vasari Corridor Florence is straightforward with the new process, but there are some key things to keep in mind when planning your trip.

Vasari Corridor Tickets

You have to purchase a combo ticket with the Uffizi Galleries, there is no way to just see the corridor.

When you book your ticket, you will choose a specific entrance time which is for entry to the Vasari Corridor.

According to the official website (and the ticket) you can go inside the Uffizi up to 2 hours before this time, but when I visited recently I was a little early and the staff still let me inside.

This was in January when Florence is at its quietest so I suspect they will be more strict with the Uffizi entrance time when the crowds start to grow.

Reduced and free admission tickets are available for certain category of visitors, and you can add on the Vasari Corridor to the 5-day Passe Partout combination ticket which includes entrance to the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. If you don’t have a ticket that includes the wider access, at the end of the Vasari Corridor visit you will be escorted out to the main courtyard of the Pitti Palace.

When booking you will need to add the specific names of every member of your group for each ticket. The tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable so don’t book them before you are certain of your timings and participants.

Entering the Vasari Corridor

When you go inside the Uffizi, everyone is directed up to the second floor to start their visit.

The entrance to the Vasari Corridor is on the first floor so at a minimum you will need to walk around most of the second floor before reaching the stairs and elevators to go down a floor. This means you will see some of the most special and interesting pieces of art in the Uffizi, and I recommend giving yourself the full 2 hours so you aren’t rushing.

The Vasari Corridor entrance is clearly marked, and there are bathrooms nearby. There is a small waiting area, you will need to be there about 10 minutes before to allow the staff to check the names and times before entering the corridor.

They do a roll call and check IDs for each ticket, not just the lead booker, so make sure you have this with you. If you miss your time slot then you will not be allowed to access the corridor later. I saw a couple try to get into my group but their tickets were for an hour earlier so they were refused.

Practical Information

The visit starts at the Uffizi and ends at the Pitti Palace, so if you have dropped anything at the Uffizi Gallery cloakroom you will have to walk back there to collect it.

I strongly recommend not bringing large bags or umbrellas that have to be checked in general, but especially for the Vasari Corridor experience.

It’s not a long walk back but why fight through the crowds at the Uffizi to get your bags when you could visit the Boboli Gardens and Palazzo Pitti, or wander through the Santo Spirito neighborhood at your leisure.

Designed to be accommodating to all visitors, the Vasari Corridor is accessibility-friendly, with wheelchair access and courtesy wheelchairs and walkers available for people with limited mobility.

The Vasari Corridor should absolutely be on your Florence itinerary.

Being able to walk across the Ponte Vecchio and see the city of Florence from a totally different perspective is a really fun and interesting thing to do so don’t miss out.