Vasari Corridor, Elevated passageway at Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.
The Vasari Corridor is an elevated passageway in Florence that links Palazzo Vecchio with Palazzo Pitti while running through the Uffizi and across Ponte Vecchio. The covered structure passes above rooftops and arcades, offering city views along its roughly 1000-meter length.
Giorgio Vasari designed this enclosed pathway in 1565 under commission from Cosimo I de Medici and completed the construction within nine months for the ducal family. The corridor remained during World War II as the sole north-south connection across the Arno after German forces destroyed all bridges except Ponte Vecchio.
The passage bears the name of its architect and originally linked ducal living quarters with government buildings, allowing the Medici family to move unseen through the city. Today, visitors can follow the same route and peer through windows onto the streets that once lay beneath their feet.
Visitors must purchase specific tickets through the Uffizi Galleries website, as access remains limited following recent renovations. The tour leads through several buildings and levels, so wear comfortable shoes and plan some time to cover the entire route.
The route passes a small window protected by grillwork that opens directly into the church of Santa Felicita, where the Medici attended private services without joining the congregation below. This hidden link between worldly power and spiritual life shows how closely architecture and status intertwined during the Renaissance.
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