{"id":27603,"date":"2025-07-09T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beculture.it\/?p=27603"},"modified":"2025-07-15T09:45:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-15T07:45:26","slug":"corridoio-vasariano","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beculture.it\/en\/corridoio-vasariano\/","title":{"rendered":"The Corridoio Vasariano: a striking elevated passage through history and the cityscape of Florence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Unprecedented, accessible and spectacular, the Corridoio Vasariano<\/strong> reopened to the public in late 2024 after an eight-year restoration that now allows visitors to walk the entire length of this historic passageway: 750 covered metres linking the former Medici residence of Palazzo Pitti with the seat of government, Palazzo Vecchio.
The brainchild of Giorgio Vasari<\/strong>, the \u201cpassetto fiorentino\u201d\u2014as it was known at the time of its construction\u2014offers visitors a truly unique experience. Here\u2019s what to expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An elevated walkway over the river and the city streets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The path begins inside the<\/strong> Uffizi<\/strong><\/a>, on the first floor of the Galleria delle Statue e delle Pitture, and winds its way across the River Arno to the Grotta del Buontalenti in the Giardino di Boboli.<\/a> For the first time in centuries, the Corridor now appears in its original state<\/strong>\u2014free from decorations and artworks. Over time, it housed various pieces from the Florentine collection, including Medici tapestries, drawings, prints and self-portraits. Instead, today it reveals itself to visitors set up with fifty Greek Roman busts, returned to new light after more than thirty years in the Gallery’s storerooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though devoid of other decorations, it is no less magnificent. From its many windows\u2014opening on one or both sides\u2014visitors are treated to breathtaking views of Florence and the river<\/strong>. One of the highlights is the view over Ponte Vecchio, teeming with life and movement, which the corridor then overarches to reach the Oltrarno district. There, it curves around the Torre de\u2019 Mannelli and enters the Church of Santa Felicita, eventually reaching the Medici residence, passing through historic buildings and streets. This elevated passageway remains unique in the world for its beauty and significance\u2014a testament to the power of its patrons and the ingenuity of its creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Francesco Jodice, Firenze, Uffizi, Courtesy Orbital Cultura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Corridor\u2019s origins: a matter of security<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Corridoio Vasariano<\/a> is named after its architect, Giorgio Vasari1<\/sup>, who began construction in 1565<\/strong>. The building works lasted only five months\u2014a record time given the scale of the project\u2014and the passageway was inaugurated on 18 December that same year. It was commissioned by Duke Cosimo I de\u2019 Medici<\/strong> (soon to become the first Grand Duke of Florence and Tuscany) on the occasion of his son Francesco\u2019s marriage to Joanna of Austria<\/strong>\u2014a strategic union that officially tied the Medici to the House of Habsburg.
The corridor\u2019s primary purpose was to allow the duke to move safely between his workplace (Palazzo Vecchio, then the seat of the Magistrature and already earmarked as a future museum) and his residence, without having to pass through the public streets<\/strong>. At the time, the area between the government building and the River Arno was impoverished and disreputable\u2014hardly suitable for the Florentine nobility or their guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To design the passage, Vasari drew inspiration from two earlier models. The first was the  secret \u201cpassetto\u201d connecting the Vatican Palace to Castel Sant\u2019Angelo<\/a> (1415\u201317): a true escape route\u2014famously used a few years earlier by Pope Clement VII (Giulio de\u2019 Medici) during his escape from the army of Charles V in the Sack of Rome in 1527. The second source of inspiration was Bramante\u2019s famous \u201ccorridore\u201d, built in 1505 to connect the Vatican Apostolic Palaces with Pope Innocent VIII\u2019s Belvedere Pavilion.  
Among all these, Vasari\u2019s design stands out not only for its splendid views<\/strong> but also for its non-linear layout\u2014shaped in part by unexpected challenges encountered during construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Francesco Jodice, Firenze, Corridoio Vasariano, Courtesy Orbital Cultura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The matter of the Tower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although it was successfully completed after just a few weeks, the project was not without its setbacks. One of the most well-known involved the Torre de\u2019 Mannelli<\/strong>. Still standing today, the tower belonged to the Mannelli family and it would have had to be demolished<\/strong> or significantly reduced in size to allow the Corridor to pass through this part of the city. The Mannelli family, however, firmly opposed the plan, forcing Vasari to come up with an alternative solution. The architect therefore chose to quite literally go around the obstacle\u2014hence why the Corridor wraps around the Tower<\/strong>, supported by a distinctive system of beccatelli<\/em> (structural brackets), still visible from the outside today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the other remarkable\u2014and equally prestigious\u2014 features is the overlook into the Chiesa di Santa Felicita<\/strong>, which allowed the Medici family to attend religious services directly from the Corridor safely from their private box, later modified.<\/p>\n\n\n