Uffizi Gallery is a must-see for any trip to Florence, Italy. It houses incredible pieces from Botticelli and da Vinci to Michelangelo and Caravaggio. But soon, you'll be able to view some of these remarkable works in a whole new light as the museum announced that it would temporarily exhibit them in the artists' hometowns.
Called Uffizi Diffusi, the project was developed because director Eike Schmidt recognized that art couldn't rely just on large galleries. Spreading out the pieces creates more accessibility as well as enhances the viewing experience. Now, art fans will get to see masterpieces in the very places that likely inspired them. It's another level of appreciation and understanding of these creative legends. Plus, it allows the museum to put works currently in storage on display.
The decentralization of the works promotes tourism beyond Florence, which can often be crowded. Now, towns throughout Italy have a chance to boost local economies while dispersing the crowds in the main city.
"It's also important at a local level, creating new jobs and work that will be stable," Schmidt told CNN. "The Uffizi Diffusi will bring to light works of art that currently nobody can see in a calmer, more intimate setting."
Plus, there are still over 3,000 works on display at the Uffizi for those who wish to visit to see.
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While full details have yet to be released, we know that at least 60 exhibition spaces have been chosen across Tuscany, including Livorno and two Medici villas outside Florence. There might also be a Napoleonic theme exhibition at Elba's Forte Falcone, the island where the French leader was once exiled.
This isn't the first time the museum has spread out its collection. A landscape drawing from Leonardo da Vinci was temporarily put on display in the artist's hometown in 2019 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of his death. And a Battle of Anghiari exhibit was erected in Anghiari with pieces from the Uffizi.
