Standing in line will be necessary but the goal’s worth it. It is known that Italians love culture. And after months of quarantine, every opportunity is now good to rediscover the treasures of art. And so there were thousands of them at the reopening of the Uffizi in Florence. One of the most beautiful and rich in works of art that we have in Italy. Place chosen every year by many tourists. And with the post Covid also rediscovered by the Italians. Queues will also be there in the coming weeks, but to comply with the rules on social distancing the entrances will continue to be managed with reservations. But let’s see the first data collected in the Tuscan capital in the last few days that bode well for the summer season.
The Uffizi privileged destination for visitors
With the reopening on the first weekend, the Uffizi gallery has registered a real boom in presence. 8,376 entrances were registered between the Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens: 4,663 chose the Uffizi museum, 3,254 decided to go for a walk in the Boboli park, 459 entered Palazzo Pitti. And in the Uffizi it was the director Eike Schmidt who welcomed the first visitors. “These are positive numbers – commented the director at Ansa-, which testify that in this delicate moment of recovery many people feel the need to turn to art and our culture”. Peak attendance on June 7 at the Uffizi Gallery with 2,106 visitors.
Not only uffizi, the first reopenings of the other sites with free admission
And for a few weeks also to encourage visitors, the most beautiful places in Florence were opened with free admissions. Like the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore from May 22, the day of reopening, until the end of May: over 10 thousand reservations in 24 hours and in particular Giotto’s bell tower. And so more than 27 thousand people registered from 22 to 30 May. Once the period of free admissions is over, they try to return to normal: but for the moment the monuments and the museum of the Opera del Duomo will be accessible only by reservation, on weekends.
Reduced tickets for Michelangelo’s David
A similar method has been adopted to visit Michelangelo’s David: over 2 thousand visitors to the Accademia Gallery, reopened on June 2 with a reduced ticket from 12 to 8 euros and with 50 visitors at a time. “The numbers are not relevant – said the director Cecilie Hollberg – in this phase in which we must all retake trust and hope in a normality to be regained. What’s important for me it that visitors told me that the visit is very well organized and they felt safe.” A thousand reservations also in the basilica of Santa Croce on the day of reopening. It will be open every weekend for free until June 24, a special opening day for the patron saint’s day.
The Italian reopenings after Covid
And so slowly all the most important Italian monuments and sites are reopening. An important signal to restart the sector. But also a concrete way to regain confidence among Italians who want to savor the beauty of the places of the heart. But above all hope after these sad and dark months of health emergency.
