A secret passageway built in 1565 for the ruling Medici family in Florence, Italy, has been opened to the public for the first time. According to the report, the 2,460-foot-high Corrido Vassariano connects three sites: Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi Galleries and Palazzo Pitti. cnn,
The passage was built by Cosimo I de’ Medici, Duke of Florence, and designed by the famous Renaissance painter and architect Giorgio Vasari. Built in just five months, the corridor provided a safe and private route for the Medici rulers to travel between their official offices in the Uffizi and their residence in Palazzo Pitti, without having to pass through the busy streets of Florence. It remained taboo to all except the Medici family and their closest employees.
The corridor is a remarkable architectural achievement, with walkways covered with terracotta bricks, large porthole windows that allow glimpses of the city, and 106 stairs that provide access to different parts of the city view. The passage was also filled with over 1,000 works of art from the 18th century.
For many years, the corridor was accessible only through private tours and special tours, with hefty fees for those lucky enough to enter. However, in 2016, it was closed for safety reasons and underwent extensive renovation. The renovation, which took eight years and cost approximately $11.5 million, restored the corridor to its former glory.
Now, almost five centuries later, the route is open to the public, with tickets costing 43 euros (Rs 3,828), which also provide access to the Uffizi Gallery, one of the world’s most famous art museums, which houses works by Michelangelo, Raphael Are the masterpieces of. , Caravaggio, and many more.
Simone Verde, director of the Uffizi Galleries, referred to the Vasari Corridor as a “mythical place” and “a parallel city within the city”. He said that the cultural influence of the Medici played a significant role in shaping the Renaissance and had a lasting impact on the courts of modern Europe.
Today, visitors can tour the Corrido Vassariano in small groups of up to 25. The corridor offers stunning views of the city’s architecture, including the famous Ponte Vecchio, a medieval bridge that spans the River Arno.
